Olympics: Russian, Belarusian Athletes Gain Support From Sports Bodies

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Facts

  • Athletes from Russia and Belarus on Tuesday moved closer to being able to compete at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris after representatives of several international sports federations and national Olympic committees voiced their support at the Olympic Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland.1
  • Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began days after the 2022 Beijing Winter Games concluded, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has struggled with what to do about athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus.2
  • Currently, the IOC allows each respective sport's federation to make the call as to whether athletes from those countries, who have not participated in or publicly shown support for the war, can compete as 'individual neutral athletes.'2
  • Under IOC guidelines, neutral athletes can't use their flags, national anthems, or any national symbols while competing. Teams are not permitted these same allowances, and the IOC said there won’t be changes to qualification systems or quota places to accommodate Russians and Belarusians.3
  • The IOC has suggested a final decision will be made at its executive board meeting in March 2024. The Paris Olympics are scheduled to run July 26-Aug. 11, 2024.3
  • This request came after the IOC in October suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) stating objections over the Ukraine war.4

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2Washington Post, 3BBC News and 4Daily Sabah.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Barron's. It's concerning that the IOC would risk violating its dedication to fairness and justice by allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes, under any circumstances, to compete on the world’s biggest athletic stage. Russian athletes may not be directly linked to their country’s transgressions, but they’re not separated by too many steps. A ruling on athletes due to global geopolitical factors is warranted.
  • Narrative B, as provided by UN Human Rights Office. While it's understandable that the IOC wants to show support for Ukrainian athletes, it should not do so at the expense of Russian and Belarusian athletes. Such exclusions would amount to discrimination based on nationality and would violate the Olympic Charter and international human rights standards.

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