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IOC chief Bach says athletes from Russia, Belarus may participate at 2024 Paris Olympics

"Individual athletes cannot be punished for the actions of their governments," Thomas Bach stated

MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate next year in the Summer Olympics in Paris, BBC quoted IOC President Thomas Bach as saying on Thursday.

"Individual athletes cannot be punished for the actions of their governments," the IOC chief stated. "One war out of 28 wars and conflicts in the world and all the other athletes are competing peacefully."

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be hosted by the French capital of Paris between July 26 and August 11.

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee 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.

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