MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. Neutral athletes will not be paid prize money in Russia for participation in the Olympic Games, First Deputy Sports Minister Azat Kadyrov said at a meeting of the State Duma’s Committee on Physical Culture and Sports.

For the participation of Russian athletes in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, 882.2 million rubles has been reserved.

"They are going as nobody from nobody. These athletes must give up everything. If someone gets a license, we must remove them from the Sports Training Center’s payroll. All these expenses are to be made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)," Kadyrov said. "If someone wins any medal - the relevant issue will be raised."

At the end of March 2023, the IOC made a recommendation to allow Russians and Belarusians to participate in international competitions only as neutral athletes, and only those who have not publicly expressed support for the special operation in Ukraine and are not associated with the armed forces or national security agencies. Also, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be represented in team sports. No decision regarding the invitation of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Paris Olympics has not been made yet.