The organization believes that athletes who do not support the war in Ukraine should be given the opportunity to compete.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) named the conditions that should become the basis for the return of athletes from Russia and Belarus to international sports.
After its meeting, the IOC Executive Committee summarized the results in an official statement.
The organization noted that sanctions against the Russian Federation and Belarus remain in effect. It is prohibited to hold international tournaments on the territory of both countries. Flags, anthems and other symbols of these countries should not appear at competitions. Officials cannot be invited and accredited to any sports event of the international level.
At the same time, the issue of athletes' performance was considered separately. The IOC named the conditions under which Russians and Belarusians will be able to return to international sports.
Athletes will perform in a neutral status and will not be able to visually represent their country in any way. Only those athletes who have not been seen actively supporting a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine will be able to compete. Also, the IOC will require full compliance with anti-doping rules and conduct regular inspections on an individual basis.
In addition, the International Olympic Committee approved the proposal of the Olympic Council of Asia to provide representatives of Russia and Belarus with the opportunity to perform at regional tournaments subject to all the above conditions.< /p>
It is worth noting that the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in Asian tournaments has not yet been confirmed by the sports federations that hold competitions there.
Read also: Sports ministers of 36 countries called on the IOC to remove Russians and Belarusians from positions in sports federations
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