The International Olympic Committee (IOC) clarified this Wednesday to Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo that there are no plans for “the presence of a Russian or Belarusian delegation or the flags of these countries at the Olympic Games” in 2024.
“The only possibility that could be considered is having athletes on an individual level or on a neutral basis, as we saw last year at the tennis tournament in France. [Roland Garros]”, – explained the IOC.
In response to Hidalgo, who said that the presence of Russians in Paris 2024 is “indecent” if the conflict in Ukraine continues, the IOC also noted the recent presence of athletes at the Australian Open and other professional sports.
“While Russia continues the war in Ukraine, I want there to be no delegation at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. […]. It seemed indecent for the country to go on as if nothing had happened, for them to come to Paris, and the bombs continue to fall on Ukraine,” the mayor said.
In an interview with France Info public radio, Anne Hidalgo refuted the idea she left at the end of January, which opened up the possibility for Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag.
The mayor argued that a neutral flag “doesn’t exist in reality,” given that dissident athletes opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin are part of a refugee team, a position she has placed herself in alongside the President of Ukraine. , Vladimir Zelensky, who asked him to exclude Russian athletes, threatening to boycott Paris 2024.
Despite the position of the mayor of the city hosting the competition, the eventual decision on whether or not to accept Russian athletes remains with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The IOC has identified “openness” for the reintegration of Russians and Belarusians under a number of conditions, including competing under a neutral flag and without any symbols of their countries, as well as not supporting the war, a situation that has been sharply criticized by Ukraine, which accuses the organization in “hypocrisy” and even threatened to boycott the event.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.