(Reuters) – Athletes from Russia and Belarus who qualified for this summer's 2024 Olympics in Paris will have to be vetted by the International Olympic Committee before being invited to the Games.
Why do Russian and Belarusian athletes need to be tested?
In the wake of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the IOC initially recommended banning athletes from Russia and ally Belarus from international competitions before allowing them to compete in the Paris Olympics.
However, they will compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) without a flag, anthem or emblem. They must also pass a vetting process to ensure they meet specific IOC eligibility criteria.
What criteria must Russian and Belarusian athletes meet?
To be allowed to participate in the Paris Games, Russian and Belarusian athletes must not actively support the war in Ukraine.
Additionally, you may not contract with military or security agencies. Many of the country's sports clubs have direct ties to the military and security services.
Athletes must also meet all anti-doping standards and sign the Paris Conditions of Participation, which includes a pledge to respect the Olympic Charter, including the “peace mission of the Olympic Movement”.
Only individual athletes can compete in Paris. Teams from Russia and Belarus will not be able to qualify for the team competition.
Who vets athletes?
The IOC this week established a personal neutral athlete qualification committee to assess the eligibility of each athlete with a Russian or Belarusian passport who has qualified or is likely to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Eligibility screening includes all support personnel for athletes participating in the competition.
Who will sit on the panel?
This is a three-member examination committee consisting solely of IOC members.
IOC Vice President Nicole Hoevertz, who competed in synchronized swimming for Aruba at the 1984 Olympics, will serve as president.
Pau Gasol is a member of the IOC Ethics Commission as its representative. The Spaniard is a retired two-time NBA basketball champion. He won two silver medals and one bronze medal for Spain at the Olympics.
Ryu Seung-min is the representative of the IOC Athletes Commission. The Korean, who has been an IOC member since 2016, was the 2004 Olympic table tennis champion and is also an executive committee member of the International Table Tennis Federation.
They will be supported by Paquelet Girard-Zapelli, the IOC's chief ethics and compliance officer and secretary of the panel.
How many Russian and Belarusian athletes are expected to compete in Paris?
The IOC said about 36 Russian athletes and 22 Belarusian athletes are expected to compete as neutral nations in Paris.
The maximum number depends on eligibility criteria and national quotas, but is unlikely to be reached: 54 and 28, respectively.
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the Russian Olympic team had 330 athletes, and the Belarusian delegation had 104 athletes. At the time, the Russian team had limited spots due to doping violations. Russia admits that its anti-doping regime is flawed, but denies running a state-sponsored doping program.
What does Russia say about the IOC?
This week, the Russian team was also banned from participating in the Olympic opening parade due to the Ukraine war. Moscow criticized the IOC's decision, saying the Olympic body was destroying Olympism and violating athletes' rights.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the IOC was mired in “racism and neo-Nazism.”
The IOC also suspended the Russian Olympic Committee in October for recognizing regional Olympic councils in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine (Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia), further angering the Russian government.
Russia plans to host its own international multi-sport event, the Friendship Games, in the second half of 2024.
(Reporting by Carolus Grauman; Editing by Alison Williams)
