MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) will stand behind its March 2022 decision to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from international motorcycle competitions, the FIM’s press office said in a statement to TASS on Thursday.

"One of the consequences of these decisions is that no Russian and Belarusian riders, teams and officials can take part in any FIM Events and activities (e.g. FIM World Championships and FIM Prizes) until further notice," the statement reads.

"Be assured that the FIM continues to carefully consider the situation and the specificity of motorcycle sport," FIM’s statement added.

The International Motorcycling Federation made a decision on March 5 to suspend motorcycle racers representing Russia and Belarus from all international events and also stripped Russian and Belarusian representatives of their seats in various motorcycle sports federations under the FIM umbrella.

"Firstly, we would like to remind you of the decisions made by the FIM on March 5, 2022 in relation to the situation in Ukraine and which are still in force - to suspend, for the Motorcycle Federation of Russia (MFR) and the Belarusian Federation of Motorcycle Sport (BFMS), the issuance of FIM licenses and the FIM licenses already distributed," FIM’s statement reads.

"To suspend the functions of persons from and BFMS acting as FIM Officials and as Commissions members/experts/agents of the FIM," according to the statement. "As a result, no Russian and Belarusian riders, teams and officials can take part in any FIM Events and activities."

IOC’s ban on Russia’s international participation

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

At its session on January 25, 2023, the IOC Executive Board put forward a proposal to permit individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports tournaments, but only under certain conditions. Athletes from the countries in question should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status.