IOC President seeks to allow Russians to attend Olympics despite possible boycott by Ukraine

Thomas Bach, President of International Olympic Committee (IOC), is willing to "explore the possibility" of allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international sports, even though this could lead to a boycott of the competition by Ukraine.

Source: Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne, quoting Bach

Quote from Bach: "It is not in line with the values and mission of the Olympic Charter to exclude athletes because of their passport.

Will they be allowed to participate in Paris 2024? Perhaps. Russians and Belarusians could compete under a neutral flag at the 2024 Olympics. The IOC's mission is to bring together athletes from all over the world, and this is a special symbol of the Olympics."

Details: At the same time, in response to a question regarding the statement made by Vadym Huttsait, President of National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, and country’s possible boycott of the competition, the IOC president said that a boycott "does not match their mission," adding: "We know the point of view of Ukraine, which seeks not only to isolate Russia as a state, but also to isolate all Russians."

Background: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced the beginning of a Marathon of Honesty, which will be aimed at cleansing hypocrisy from the international Olympic leadership and preventing any attempts to bring representatives of Russia back into international sports competitions.

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