Olympics

IOC approves venues for Russians and Belarusians

(Bild: GEPA)

The IOC Examination Commission has released a further 17 Olympic places for athletes from Russia and Belarus - but not all of them will be used!

According to a statement on Thursday, eight of these tickets will go to Russian tennis pros, including former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev. In mid-June, the first 25 athletes from Russia and Belarus were given permission to compete at the Olympics, but they are only allowed to compete in Paris under a neutral flag.

Tickets for modern pentathlon remained unused
The other nine places that have now been awarded go to Belarus. However, the IOC only listed six athletes, including two-time tennis Grand Slam winners Aryna Sabalenka and Viktoria Azarenka. Shooting (two of a possible three participants) and rowing (2/2) are also represented. The two tickets for the modern pentathlon remained unused as of Thursday.

Long debates about the athletes' participation in the Olympics
Due to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, which is supported by Belarus, there had been long debates about the Olympic participation of athletes from these nations. To be eligible, athletes must have no connection to the army or security forces and must not have actively shown their support for the war in Ukraine. The anti-doping guidelines must also be fulfilled. As an additional condition, the IOC requires all athletes to make a written commitment to the Olympic Charter and thus also to the "peace mission of the Olympic Movement".

Russians and Belarusians are only allowed to compete in Paris under a neutral flag. Their national anthem will not be played, and national symbols and flags are also prohibited. Teams are completely excluded. The IOC has set up a three-member commission to review the admission requirements. The IOC recently expected a total of around 50 Russians and 28 Belarusians to be admitted to Paris. This would mean significantly fewer athletes from both countries than at the last Summer Games.