How will Russian athletes be cleared to compete at Paris 2024?
STORY: Russian and Belarusian athletes who qualify for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will need to undergo a vetting process by the International Olympic Committee before being invited to compete.
Here's why.
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the IOC initially recommended athletes from Russia and ally Belarus be banned from international competitions.
But they were then allowed to qualify for the Paris Olympics, with some caveats.
They will be competing as individual neutral athletes – or AINs – without their flags, anthems and emblems.
James MacLeod is the Director of Olympic Solidarity:
“AINs will not participate in the parade of delegation teams during the opening ceremony since they are individual athletes. But an opportunity will be provided to them to experience the event."
They must also pass an IOC vetting process.
Athletes must not have actively supported the war in Ukraine or be contracted to any military or security agency.
And all anti-doping criteria must be met.
Athletes will also have to sign the Conditions of Participation for Paris, which contains a commitment to respect the Olympic charter, including the “peace mission of the Olympic Movement.”
MACLEOD: “Our experts currently project that under the most likely scenario, 36 AINs with a Russian passport and 22 AINs with a Belarusian passport will qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The maximum number, which is unlikely to be reached, would be 55 and 28, respectively.”
The IOC established the Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel to carry out the work of evaluating each athlete and their support personnel.
The three-member panel consists only of IOC members.
They are:
Nicole Hoevertsz, an IOC vice-president who competed in synchronized swimming for Aruba in 1984...
Pau Gasol, a two-time NBA champion who won medals with Spain...
and Ryu Seung-min – an IOC member since 2016 and a South Korean table tennis champion.
The IOC's chief ethics and compliance officer, Paquerette Girard Zappelli, is secretary of the panel.
Moscow has criticized the IOC’s decisions, saying the Olympic body was infringing on athletes' rights – and destroying Olympism.
The Russian Olympic Committee was also suspended by the IOC in October for recognizing regional Olympic councils for Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, further angering Moscow.
Russia plans to host its own international multi-sports event, the Friendship Games, later in 2024.
