Ukraine demands exclusion of individual Russian and Belarusian athletes from 2024 Olympics

Ukraine has demanded that Russian and Belarusian athletes who support the war in Ukraine be excluded from competing in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Source: Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee (NOC)

The demand was set out in a joint letter signed by Vadym Huttsait, President of the NOC, Matvii Bidnyi, Ukraine’s acting Minister of Youth and Sports, and Yurii Kopytko, President of the Ukrainian Wrestling Association.

Quote from the NOC: "Leaders of Ukrainian sporting institutions are calling on our international partners to take measures to comply with the International Olympic Committee recommendations regarding the neutral status of athletes from the Russian Federation and Belarus and not to admit these individuals to international competitions."

The Ukrainian side provided evidence that the athletes in question have violated the neutrality requirements and requested the exclusion of Vanesa Kaladzinskaya, Zaurbek Sidakov, Zavur Uguev, Milad Alirzaev, Sergey Semenov, Nadezhda Sokolova, Alina Kasabieva, Khanum Velieva, Natalia Malysheva, and Artur Naifonov. 

Background:

• The International Olympic Committee decided that representatives of Russia and Belarus will compete without flags, emblems, or national anthems. They may only take part in the Olympics if they have not publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine and are not contracted military personnel. Additionally, athletes may not take part in team competitions.
• The UK government recently backed the IOC’s decision to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games.

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