IOC President Justifies Decision to Permit Russians and Belarusians to Participate as Neutral Athletes in Paris 2024 Olympics

The head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, has defended the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics as neutral participants. Speaking at a forum in Geneva, Switzerland, Bach stated that individual athletes should not be punished for the actions of their governments. He described the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as one out of many ongoing wars around the world, emphasizing that all other athletes compete peacefully with each other. The IOC had previously barred the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus, but recently announced that qualified individuals could compete without their countries' flags, emblems, or anthems. The ban, however, remains in place for teams from these nations, and individuals who actively supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine will still be excluded. The IOC also reiterated its commitment to supporting Ukrainian athletes and ensuring a strong team from the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine at the Paris Games. Bach made these remarks during an exclusive interview with the BBC at the UN Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, where he announced a financial pledge to aid half a million refugees and support the refugee Olympic team at Paris 2024. Despite calls from countries like the US and UK for a complete ban, Olympic sports federations had requested that Russian and Belarusian athletes be allowed to participate without national affiliation. Ukraine suggested a potential boycott of the games, arguing that Russian athletes could not be disguised under the pretense of neutrality. Bach dismissed the threat of a boycott, asserting that countries are entitled to have different political opinions. The ongoing conflicts highlighted include Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, as well as civil wars in Sudan and Myanmar.