Today, the IOC EB announced that out of the 6,000 spots available for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, 12 AINs with Russian passports and seven AINs with Belarusian passports have currently qualified for Paris 2024. I received the latest information. Experts currently predict that in the most likely scenario, 36 AINs with Russian passports and 22 AINs with Belarusian passports will qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It is unlikely that the maximum number will be reached, but it will be 54 and 28. Each. These figures should be compared with the 330 athletes of the Russian Olympic Committee and 104 athletes of the Belarusian National Olympic Committee (NOC) who participated in the Tokyo Olympics. It is important to note that these estimates for Paris 2024 do not take into account the IOC qualification process that will determine final participation.
Today, the IOC EB decided:
1. A Personal Neutral Athlete Qualification Committee to assess the eligibility and support of each athlete with a Russian or Belarusian passport who has qualified or has the potential to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AINERP) was established. human resources.
The panel consists of three members:
- Nicole Hufeltz, IOC Vice-President, Panel Chair
- Mr. Pau Gasol, Representative of the IOC Ethics Committee
- Mr. Sun Min Ryu, Representative of the IOC Athletes Commission
AINERP's activities will be supported by IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer Paquelet Girard-Zapelli, who serves as AINERP's Executive Director.
The panel will base its decision on the “Principles for the implementation of the participation of neutral individual athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports and their support personnel at the 2024 Paris Olympics”.
2. Delegate to AINERP and IOC management the authority to invite independent individual athletes and their support personnel to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Once athlete invitations have been sent, the IOC will publish the list of AINs and their support staff invited to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
3. AINERP will monitor the conduct and respect for the Participatory Principles of all AIN and support personnel deemed eligible to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, including upon their return home after the Games.
4. AINERP will refer the matter to the IOC Disciplinary Commission for measures or sanctions that may be applied if the conduct of AIN or its support personnel is considered to be contrary to the Olympic Charter, the Paris 2024 Conditions of Participation or the Principles of Participation. raise .
The IOC EB also discussed and decided on a number of protocol elements regarding AIN's participation in Paris.
- This is the AIN flag and this is the national anthem. The national anthem has no lyrics and was created solely for this purpose.
- Medals won by AIN will not be displayed on the NOC medal table.
Additionally, the ceremony was discussed by the IOC EB. The following principles were established:
- Since AIN is an individual athlete, he will not participate in the delegation (team) parade during the opening ceremony. However, the opportunity to experience the event will be provided. This is the same scenario used for the independent Olympians (from the former Yugoslavia) at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
- The decision regarding AIN's participation in the Closing Ceremony will be taken at a later stage, taking into account that the participation in the Closing Ceremony will be jointly by all athletes and not by teams.
- At the victory ceremony, the AIN flag will be raised and the AIN national anthem will be played.
Recall that the strict eligibility conditions for individual neutral athletes at the Paris 2024 Games, set by the IOC EB in December, are the same as those under which athletes qualify.
1. Eligible athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports will enter and compete as Individual Neutral Athlete (“AIN”).
2. Teams of players with Russian or Belarusian passports will not be considered.
3. Athletes who actively support the war will not be eligible to enter or compete. Support personnel who actively support the war effort are not permitted to enter.
4. Athletes who are under contract with the military or national security services of Russia or Belarus are not eligible to enter or compete. Support personnel contracted to Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies will not be entered.
5. Such Individual Neutral Athletes, like all other participating athletes, are subject to all anti-doping requirements, in particular anti-doping requirements, applicable in the run-up to and during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. must meet the requirements set forth in IF doping rules.
6. Sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian states and governments responsible for the war will continue during the 2024 Paris Olympics. This means, inter alia:
- At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, no Russian or Belarusian flags, national anthems, colors or any other identification will be displayed at official venues or at official events.
- Government or state officials from Russia or Belarus will not be invited to or accredited to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Like all other athletes, AIN must sign the Terms of Participation applicable to the Paris 2024 Games. This includes a pledge to respect the Olympic Charter, which includes the “peace mission of the Olympic Movement”. See an excerpt from the new form here.
