Olympics: The UK government has written a letter to the most prominent sponsors of the Olympics, urging them to put pressure on the IOC so that Russian and Belarusian athletes are not allowed to play in Paris even in a neutral status, British The Guardian writes.
« We know that sports and politics in Russia and Belarus are intertwined, and we are committed to working. (…) Russia and Belarus should not be allowed to use sports for their propaganda purposes, » the newspaper quoted the text of the letter.
It emphasizes: « Until our concerns and (…) specific details regarding a workable model of ‘neutrality’ are addressed, We do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be permitted to return to competition. »
Earlier, it was reported that the IOC still needs to make a final decision on the admission of athletes from Russia and Belarus to partake in the Paris Olympics. However, he continues exploring ways to allow them to compete as « neutral » athletes.
The IOC still needs to discuss the admission of Russian or Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the IOC press service reports.
« The decision on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris has yet to be made. However, we are talking about their involvement in international competitions in Asia in the upcoming summer sports season. None of the documents published by the IOC will mention the Olympic 2024 Games in Paris for athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports.
The IOC emphasizes that it intends to ensure that at the Games in Paris and the subsequent Winter Olympic Games 2026 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo « to have a strong team from the NOC of Ukraine. »
The IOC notes that Russians and Belarusians can be admitted to the Olympic Games in neutral status (without any association with the national flag, anthem, or colors) and fully compliant with anti-doping rules.
