IOC ready to let about 40 Russian athletes in Paris

Senior Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), John Coates, expressed uncertainty regarding the number of Russian athletes competing as neutrals at the Paris Games, suggesting that reports estimating as low as 40 could be accurate.

Amidst sanctions imposed due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Belarus serving as a staging post, the IOC has permitted only select Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in Paris under strict regulations. The inclusion of these neutral athletes remains a contentious issue, with Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba condemning the decision as “shameful”, while Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo expressed hope last week that they would not attend.

Coates addressed the issue in an interview with the Sunday edition of Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the participation of these athletes, particularly in team sports, given their inability to compete under the Russian banner. He noted that athletes affiliated with Russian military clubs would not be participating, and speculated that some athletes might choose not to attend if they cannot represent Russia.

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Regarding the number of neutral athletes, Coates referenced reports suggesting that the figure could be as low as 40. These athletes will compete solely in individual sports without national symbols, and those associated with supporting the war in Ukraine or enlisted in the Russian or Belarusian military are ineligible.

While Moscow has denounced the restrictions as “illegitimate, unfair, and unacceptable”, Russia’s Olympic chief, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, confirmed that Russian athletes would not boycott the Games. In the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games, 335 athletes competed under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) banner, winning 71 medals, while Belarus sent 101 athletes who claimed seven medals.