IOC to explore pathway for return of Russia, Belarus athletes
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The IOC says no athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport.
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The Russian and Belarusian flags (AP)
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Wednesday that a pathway for the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics should be "further explored", ignoring calls from Ukraine to ban them.
While most international federations followed the IOC's recommendation in February to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes after the start of the Ukraine war, the question is already being asked over their participation at the 2024 Games.
The IOC has previously described the issue as a "big dilemma" that had been politicized by individual governments intervening to block them.
"No athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport," the IOC stressed in a press release on Wednesday.
"A pathway for athletes’ participation in competition under strict conditions should therefore be further explored," it added.
The IOC also said that "the vast majority of the participants in each of the consultation calls" supported the body exploring the eventual reintegration of athletes from Russia and Belarus.
In addition, the IOC "welcomed and appreciated" the Olympic Council of Asia's offer to accept Russian and Belarusian athletes into qualifying events for Paris 2024.
Read more: RFU, UEFA create group to ease Russia's return to Int'l tournaments
