IOC rules Russia, Belarus athletes not part of Olympics opening event
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On the other hand, the International Olympic Committee defended the participation of athletes from the Israeli occupation entity in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
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The Olympic rings are pictured before an IOC Executive Board meeting on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
Olympic chiefs announced Tuesday that Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in this summer's Paris Games under a neutral flag will not be able to take part in the opening ceremony.
Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) from either country "will not participate in the parade of delegations and teams during the opening ceremony since they are individual athletes", IOC director James Macleod said after an executive board meeting of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.
"But an opportunity will be provided to them to experience the event," added Macleod.
The AINs will be on site, he said, but not included as passengers on the boat parade on the River Seine on July 26.
"The decision regarding the participation of AINs in the closing ceremony will be taken at a later stage, taking into consideration that it is not teams that enter the closing ceremony, but all athletes jointly together."
Athletes from both Russia and Belarus had already been banned from attending the opening ceremony of the Paralympics, starting in Paris on August 28.
The IOC in December suspended Russia from the 2024 Games but gave the green light for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals as long as they do not actively support the war in Ukraine.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus have faced sanctions from a multitude of sports since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Over the past year, several Olympic sports have eased restrictions, allowing athletes from both countries to return to competition under certain conditions.
However, Russians and Belarusians have remained banned from athletics.
The IOC said that AINs would have their own flag and a lyric-less anthem. Medals won by the AINs will not be displayed in the overall medal table.
"No flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications whatsoever of Russia or Belarus will be displayed at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in any official venue or any official function," the IOC said.
"No Russian or Belarusian government or state officials will be invited to or accredited for the Olympic Games Paris 2024."
Double Standards
But paradoxically, the IOC defended the participation of athletes from the Israeli occupation entity in Paris 2024, following multiple calls from human rights groups and lawmakers to ban "Israel" from participating in the forthcoming games.
Most recently, 26 French parliamentarians called on the IOC to impose a ban on "Israel".
In a communication addressed to Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, the legislators denounced "Israel" for "unprecedented war crimes" perpetrated against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The French lawmakers called for Israeli athletes to participate neutrally, akin to Russian and Belarusian athletes, in the 2024 Paris Olympics. They emphasized that these restrictions should remain in place until a lasting ceasefire is declared in Gaza.
However, Germany's DPA news agency had reported that a spokesperson for the IOC affirmed that the Committee would not yield to the calls.
"The IOC is committed to individual responsibility, and athletes cannot be held responsible for the actions of their governments. Otherwise, swift action will be taken, as was the case during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games," the spokesperson was quoted as saying, despite the Ministry of Health in Gaza confirming Tuesday that the number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli aggression since October 7 has risen to 31,819, in addition to 73,934 injuries.
