Olympic Committee does not invite Russia and Belarus to participate in Olympics

The International Olympic Committee has not sent the invitations to participate in the Olympics 2024 to Russia and Belarus.

Source: press service of the International Olympic Committee (IOC); Suspilne (Ukraine's public broadcaster)

Details: The invitation to participate is sent a year before the competition. Guatemala, which is suspended by the IOC, has not received the invitation either. These countries will not be represented under their state flags at the Olympics. All other 203 countries have been invited.

Nevertheless, it does not mean that athletes from Russia or Belarus will not participate in the Olympics. The IOC clarified that the decision concerning their participation would be "made in the right time".

Suspilne reports that this may happen at the IOC session in October 2023.

Background: 

• Several days ago, Ukraine's Minister of Sports Vadym Gutzeit stated that if Russia and Belarus were not invited to the Olympics officially, then Ukraine might stop boycotting the competition provided that Russians and Belarusians still participate with a neutral status.
• Earlier, the IOC stressed that it would not send Russia and Belarus the invitation to the 2024 Olympics.

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