Russia, Belarus not invited to Paris Olympics: IOC

Russia and Belarus will not receive formal invitations to the 2024 Paris Olympics amid the war in Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Thursday.

The remaining 203 countries set to participate in the Summer Games will receive their invitations later this month, one year out from the start of the Games.

While the Russian and Belarusian teams will not receive invitations, their athletes could still compete next year. 

The IOC Ethics Commission issued recommendations for international sports competitions in late March, suggesting those with Russian or Belarusian passports be allowed to compete as neutral athletes.

It also recommended that those who actively support the war in Ukraine or who are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian militaries or national security agencies be barred from entering international competitions.

However, the IOC emphasized on Thursday these recommendations “do not concern” the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in the 2024 Paris Olympics or the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

“The IOC will take this decision at the appropriate time, at its full discretion, and without being bound by the results of previous Olympic qualification competitions,” the committee said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously blasted the IOC’s recommendation that Russians be allowed to compete as neutral athletes, accusing the organization of attempting to “bring representatives of the terrorist state into world sports.”

“There is no such thing as neutrality when a war like this is going on,” Zelensky said in a speech in January. “And we know how often tyrannies try to use sports for their ideological interests. It is obvious that any neutral flag of Russian athletes is stained with blood.”

However, IOC President Thomas Bach pushed back on Zelensky’s accusations, arguing the games should remain open to all athletes.

“It is not up to governments to decide who can take part in which sports competitions, because this would be the end of international sports competitions and world championships and the Olympic Games as we know it,” Bach said in February.