Russia Demands to Clarify the Participation of Neutral Athletes

On Friday, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and the Sports Ministry filed a demand with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for a specific regulation regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian neutral athletes in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

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"The current conditions only consider the neutral status. No specific regulations regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes have been mentioned," stated Sports Minister Oleg Matitsin.

On Dec. 8, the IOC authorized the participation of neutral athletes from these two countries in the 2024 Olympic Games. Currently, only eight Russians and three Belarusians hold this status, a figure Moscow considers negligible.

"As soon as a detailed decision is made, we will coordinate our actions with the ROC and our federations," Matitsin pointed out.

On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin asserted that he has always supported athletes' participation in international competitions but emphasized that a careful analysis is warranted due to changing circumstances.

"We need to carefully analyze the conditions proposed by the IOC. If these are artificial conditions aimed at hamstringing our leaders and... dismantling the team, then the Sports Ministry and the ROC will have to analyze and make a considered decision," he stated.

ROC Director Stanislav Pozdniakov appealed to the IOC to reinstate the committee he heads "as a full-fledged member of the Olympic movement."

Previously, the IOC Committee decided that Russian or Belarusian athletes who are part of the "Individual Neutral Athletes" collective will be declared eligible to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games.

Athletes actively supporting the Russian military operation cannot be registered or compete, as well as those employed by Russian or Belarusian military or security agencies.