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Russian sports chief: No reasons yet to speak of Russian athletes’ 2024 Olympics ban

According to Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin, Russia maintains a permanent dialogue with international sports federations

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, April 26. /TASS/. Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said on Tuesday he believed that Russian athletes will be allowed to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, but Russia is ready for any developments of the situation.

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"I don’t see reasons yet for discussions of the possible lack of chances," the minister told journalists in response to a question whether Russia would be possibly barred from the 2024 Olympics in Paris following a set of recently imposed bans against Russian athletes on behalf of various international sports federations.

"Decisions, made by the international [sports] federations, will be in force, as a rule, until the end of the year and this is why I hope that there will be no problems," Matytsin noted.

"However, we are ready for any developments of the situation," he noted.

According to Matytsin, "our prime aim is for athletes to preserve their motivation and social guarantees as well as to provide a competitive level, here in Russia, with the use of the tournaments’ schedule, training camps and tournaments with athletes from friendly countries, which have recently assumed a principal stance."

The Russian sports minister also said that Russia maintains a permanent dialogue with international sports federations.

"I am positive that international sports federations are willing to find a way out from this temporary crisis situation," Matytsin added.

On February 28, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments referring to a special military operation in Ukraine.

Following the IOC recommendations in late February, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

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