IOC Says It Won’t Send Invitations to Russia and Belarus for Paris Olympics

The International Olympic Committee will not send Russia and Belarus formal invitations to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the IOC said Thursday.

In light of the war in Ukraine, IOC issued sanctions in January against Russia and Belarus, including a ban on events hosted or organized by either country, flags or other national displays and the invitation of Russian and Belarusian officials.

On March 28, The IOC executive board also issued recommendations allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate as neutral individuals. Athletes or support personnel who “actively support the war” or are part of the military or national securities agencies are still barred from competitions. These neutral athletes must also comply with anti-doping requirements — a clear reference to Russia’s doping scandal at the 2014 Olympics, which resulted in Russian athletes competing as “Olympic Athletes from Russia” (OAR) at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

In Thursday’s statement, which came in the form of a Q&A about the decision to include Russian and Belarusian athletes, the IOC said that the current recommendations “do not concern the participation” of these athletes at the 2024 and 2026 Olympics.

“The IOC will take this decision at the appropriate time, at its full discretion, and without being bound by the results of previous Olympic qualification competitions,” the statement said.

It did not clarify whether the decision would relate to Russians and Belarusians’ ability to participate under a neutral flag or to participate at all.

Invitations to the 2024 Olympics will be sent on July 26. The IOC said that invitations will be sent at that time to the 203 eligible National Olympic Committees (NOCs), but that Russia and Belarus will not receive invitations. Neither will Guatemala, which was suspended last fall for government interference with their NOC.

The controversial March decision to include Russian and Belarusian athletes in ongoing IOC-associated international competitions has significant support. A special declaration by the Non-Aligned Movement, a coalition of 120 UN countries, stated that allowing athletes from all NOCs would be “a strong symbol of unity of humanity.” The IOC also received a letter of support signed by the presidents of the five continental associations of NOCs.

However, there is also pushback. On July 2, the Nordic Olympic Committee released a statement opposing the decision, saying that “now is not the right time to consider” the return of Russian athletes. Both the United Kingdom and France have called for a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, and the mayor of Paris, where the 2024 games will be held, has expressed a similar opinion.

The IOC condemned the opposition, calling it “deplorable” to not respect the Olympic majority and warning that giving in to political divisions could lead to “the end of international sport as we know it.” It accused these unnamed governments of hypocrisy and referred to “double standards.”

“We have not seen a single comment from them about their attitude towards the participation of athletes whose countries are involved in the other 70 wars, armed conflicts and crises in the world,” the statement reads.

The IOC’s stance has displeased both Ukraine and Russia, as Ukraine wants Russian athletes to be entirely banned, while Russia objects to any imposed sanctions. “Both positions are diametrically opposed to the IOC’s mission and the Olympic Charter,” the IOC said.

The statement continued: “The fact that both sides in this confrontation are not satisfied might indicate that the IOC has found some middle ground on which all sides can move forward to make a contribution to understanding and peace.”

In April, the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sport banned Ukrainian athletes from international competitions where they could play against Russian or Belarusian athletes, which the IOC categorized as Ukrainian athletes being “sanctioned by their own government.” They also called out the inconsistency of the sports that are banned; the Ukrainian Tennis Federation, for example, has allowed athletes to continue playing.

As a result of the ban, many Ukrainian athletes are not participating in Olympic-qualifying events. The IOC said that they are committed to supporting Ukrainian athletes who want to compete but risk losing the support of their NOC or national federation.