 "Explained: How Russia, Belarus will be at the Paris Olympics but in subdued manner")
Athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN). They will not be allowed to represent their nations with flags or anthems, and their results will not be counted towards the medal table.
**Paris Olympics 2024: News, schedule, medals tally and more**Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus supports, both countries have been banned from sending teams to the Games. However, individual athletes who meet stringent criteria established by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding their support for the war and connections to military entities have been invited to participate.
How many Russian and Belarusian athletes are participating?
Historically, Russia have sent large contingent to the Olympics, even amidst recent sanctions due to a doping scandal, and have been consistent medal contenders.
However, this time the situation is starkly different. The IOC had invited 36 Russian athletes and 24 Belarusian athletes, with just 15 Russians and 17 Belarusians accepting . In contrast, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) sent 335 athletes, and Belarus sent 101.
The IOC had previously estimated that a maximum of 55 Russians and 28 Belarusians would participate in Paris, with 36 and 22 being the most likely numbers.
While Russia has officially claimed it won’t boycott the Games, the country’s weightlifting federation rejected invitations for 10 athletes, citing “unsportsmanlike selection principles.” Similarly, the judo federation turned down invitations for four of its athletes, deeming the conditions “humiliating.”
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More ShortsHow will Russians, Belarusians compete at Paris Olympics?
Athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports eligible to compete at Paris 2024, and having accepted the invites, will do so as AINs (Individual Neutral Athlete or Athlete Individuel Neutre in French).
This will be the fourth consecutive Olympics where Russian athletes are competing under an acronym. Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia had faced sanctions due to a state-sponsored doping scandal. The last Olympics where they competed under their own flag and anthem was in 2016.
At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, those able to demonstrate they were not involved in doping competed as ROC (Russian Olympic Committee), and at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, they participated as OARs (Olympic Athletes of Russia).
Under these designations, they were included in the medal tables. Whereas as AINs, they will not be counted collectively because they are competing individually and not as a team.
What makes an athlete eligible to compete?
The IOC had initially banned athletes from Russia and Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
However, the stance changed last year. IOC decided to allow athletes from both countries to compete as neutrals if they satisfied strict eligibility conditions aimed at protecting human rights. The requirements include:
- Athletes must not actively support the war.
- Athletes must not have ties to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies (given that many Russian sports clubs have direct connections to these entities).
- Team competitions are not permitted.
- Athletes must qualify for the Games and pass a double vetting process — first by their respective international sports federation and then by the IOC’s Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP).
There will be no AIN track and field athletes, as World Athletics has banned all Russians and Belarusians from competing.
Which athletes have qualified and accepted invites?
Among those set to compete is former World No. 1 tennis player Daniil Medvedev. Other Russian athletes that accepted invitations include six more tennis players, a trampoline gymnast, three canoeists, three road cyclists, and one swimmer. At the same time, nine of ten invited wrestlers initially accepted but later declined. Notably, prominent athletes like tennis players Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, and Daria Kasatkina declined the offers.
From Belarus, 17 athletes, including trampoline title defender Ivan Litvinovich, have accepted invitations, alongside swimmers, canoeists, rowers, wrestlers, weightlifters, a road cyclist, and a taekwondo athlete. However, seven Belarusians, including Grand Slam champions Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka, have turned down their invitations.
What happens if Russian/Belarusian athlete wins a medal?
At medal ceremonies, if an AIN wins, the teal and white flag featuring the AIN logo will be raised, and this emblem can be displayed on their gear, which must otherwise be white or a single colour. Any display of Russian or Belarusian colors, flags, or emblems is prohibited.
The national anthems of Russia and Belarus will not be played at the Games. If an AIN wins gold, a specially composed anthem without lyrics will be played.
Are any political dignitaries invited?
No Russian or Belarusian government officials are invited to the Paris Olympics. Russian president Vladimir Putin has expressed support for the athletes but raised concerns over the neutral status. He has suggested that if the IOC’s conditions aim to isolate the best Russian athletes, a decision needs to be made about participation. The Russian foreign ministry also criticised the IOC’s restrictions as discriminatory.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said IOC had “slipped into racism and neo-Nazism”.
How has Ukraine reacted?
In deciding to allow AINs at the Games, the IOC aimed to avoid penalising individual athletes for their government’s actions.
However, the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee has advised Ukrainian athletes to avoid interactions with their Russian and Belarusian counterparts at Paris 2024 to prevent “provocative actions.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned the involvement of Russian athletes, equating it to endorsing terror.
Many Ukrainian athletes have been avoiding handshakes with Russian and Belarusian opponents since the invasion and that is expected to continue.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had stated in March that Russian and Belarusian athletes were “not welcome”.
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