MOSCOW, November 20. /TASS/. The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international tournaments under a neutral status, the Russian Equestrian Federation (REF) said in a statement to TASS on Monday.
"Following lengthy negotiations, correspondence and telephone communications between the Russian Equestrian Federation and the FEI Bureau, which were initiated by REF President and FEI Bureau member Marina Sechina, the FEI Executive Board made a decision to review the obstructing measures that were in force regarding the Russian and Belarusian athletes, horses and officials," the statement reads.
"The FEI has allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes, officials and horses to participate in international tournaments under a neutral status," according to the statement. "The terms and conditions for the implementation of this decision will be submitted for the approval with the FEI Executive Board during a teleconference in December 2023."
Vladimir Beletsky, the head coach of the Russian national equestrian team, told TASS commenting on the developments: "This is very encouraging news."
"It would have been impossible without all of the work on behalf of the Russian Equestrian Federation and its President Marina Sechina, as well as from our Eurasian colleagues, who supported us. We look forward to December, when the final conditions and terms are approved."
"We have our own goals regarding the development of the equestrian sports in Russia, and we are not backing down from their implementation even after our athletes were cleared to compete internationally," Beletsky continued.
"We will increase the number of domestic competitions and we will do our best to make sure that in terms of their organization and provided technical conditions they are in no way inferior to the largest international tournaments," he said.
On March 6, 2022 the FEI barred Russian athletes, horses and officials from participating in international tournaments following recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In April this year, the FEI extended the suspension term indefinitely.
IOC sanctions against Russia, Belarus
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.
In late March, 2023, the IOC recommended to permit individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports tournaments, but only under certain conditions. Specifically, athletes from the two countries should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status. Russia and Belarus were also banned from participating in international team events.
On July 26, 2023, the IOC extended invitations to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris to 203 National Olympic Committees. Russia and Belarus did not receive invitations. The IOC explained later that there was no deadline regarding the issue of Russian and Belarusian athletes’ participation.
The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be hosted by the French capital of Paris between July 26 and August 11.