Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine means neither the flags nor the anthems of Russia and Belarus will accompany any podium finishes at the Paris Olympics—but there is controversy over how some of their athletes could still take part.
After the war started, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) sanctioned Russia and Belarus. The autocratic leader of the latter, Putin's close ally Alexander Lukashenko, has allowed Belarus to be used as a staging post for attacks on Ukraine.
However, a few dozen athletes from these countries might still be competing for medals as "neutrals." This has angered Kyiv and pro-Ukrainian groups, who say a blanket ban should be imposed.
What Is Behind the Ban?
Putin's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, took place between the closing of the Winter Olympics and the opening of the Winter Paralympics. This prompted international outrage, leading to sanctions aimed at isolating Russia from the global financial system.
The IOC also condemned Russia's aggression as a "blatant violation of the Olympic Truce," referring to the pledge of international peace in the period of time leading up to and immediately after the Games. The IOC reiterated its condemnation of Putin's aggression on the first anniversary of the war in 2023.
As part of the sanctions against the governments of Russia and Belarus, no flag, anthems or other national symbols of either country can be displayed in Paris and no government or state officials can be accredited for the games.
What Are the Exceptions?
A select few Russian and Belarusian athletes can still compete as neutrals. They will be termed Athlète Individuel Neutre (AIN), which is French for "Authorised Neutral Athletes," if they meet certain eligibility criteria imposed by the IOC.
To be cleared to compete as an AIN, competitors cannot support the war or have been contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military.
They also have to meet all anti-doping requirements. Eligibility is determined by the Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel which the IOC formed in March.
Athletes competing under this designation are banned from using the neutral Olympic flag or anthem and cannot parade in the opening ceremony. The AIN flag consists of a circular AIN emblem in white on a teal background.
Has Russia Been Sanctioned Before?
As punishment for a state-sponsored doping program, individual Russian athletes competed neutrally in the 2018 Winter Olympics under the Olympic Flag, with the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) suspended by the IOC.
The ROC was reinstated before 2020 and Russians competed under its name during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
But on October 5, 2023, the IOC suspended the ROC for taking the unilateral decision to include as members, regional sports organizations under the authority of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee in territories annexed by Moscow. The ROC's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was dismissed.
How Many Could Take Part?
While athletics has imposed an outright ban on Russian and Belarussian athletes competing in Paris, other sports have accepted their participation, sparking anger from the Ukrainian government and groups lobbying for Kyiv.
In April, 20 British MPs appealed to the former Conservative government to push for a complete ban on all Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Olympics and Paralympics.
"The full-scale invasion of Ukraine took place literally weeks after the Winter Olympics finished in 2022 under the Olympic truce," said Alex Rennie, co-director of the group UK Friends of Ukraine, which also joined the British lawmakers' call for a complete ban. "That still hurts bitterly for many Ukrainians," he told Newsweek.
"A blanket ban would continue to show international condemnation of the aggression that took place and the full-scale invasion. Don't forget, Ukrainian athletes have died during this war and many of those [who] should be competing can't."
Teams of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport are not allowed to take part. As of July 23, 32 out of 60 athletes from Russia and Belarus have accepted invitations to participate in the games. They will take part in cycling, gymnastics, taekwondo, weightlifting, shooting, wrestling, tennis, canoeing, judo and swimming.
This number is a big decrease from those who appeared in the Tokyo Summer Games three years ago, when the Russian delegation sent 335 athletes to Tokyo in 2021, while Belarus sent 104.
For comparison, around 10,500 athletes from 206 countries are expected to take part in the summer Games in Paris that run between July 26 and August 11.
However, the international rights group Global Rights Compliance (GRC) said that 10 Russian and seven Belarusian athletes cleared to compete have violated IOC rules on neutrality regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine and should be barred.
The GRC said it has presented to the IOC evidence which included posting pro-war messages on social media, participating in pro-war tournaments and being members of Russian military-linked institutions.
"The IOC wants to reap the rewards of claiming to be a beacon of peace and respect for human rights, while not doing the actual work to ensure this," said Jeremy Pizzi, GRC's legal advisor. "By not diligently applying its own rules, the IOC violates the UN rules on business and human rights that it has committed to."
When contacted for comment about the status of neutral athletes, the IOC referred Newsweek to its statement updated on July 20 in which it said that AIN quotas were determined "through the existing qualification competitions and the specific eligibility requirements of the International Federations (IFs)."
The IOC also told Reuters it could not comment on individual cases or on the decisions of the review panel, which had assessed the athletes according to the guidelines.
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously said that even a small number would send a message that "terror is somehow acceptable."
Rennie told Newsweek: "Even for a Russian athlete to compete under a neutral banner and see them potentially win a gold medal, will be used as a propaganda tool in Russia and they will be welcomed home as heroes."
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Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular the war started by Moscow. He also covers other areas of geopolitics including China.
Brendan joined Newsweek in 2018 from the International Business Times and well as English, knows Russian and French.
You can get in touch with Brendan by emailing b.cole@newsweek.com or follow on him on his X account @brendanmarkcole.
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more
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