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IOC to consider Russians’ participation in Paris Olympics opening ceremony on March 19

Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant added that the IOC Executive Committee would consider this issue at its next meeting

MOSCOW, March 8. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will touch upon the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris at the Executive Committee’s next meeting, IOC Coordination Commission chairman Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant told reporters.

The IOC Executive Committee’s next meeting will be held in Lausanne on March 19-20.

"As of today, it is not the case; athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport and taking part in the Games have not been banned (from taking part at the ceremony)," Beckers-Vieujant said when asked about the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the opening ceremony.

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. In December, 2023, the IOC allowed Russians and Belarusians to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris under a neutral status.

On March 6, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) published criteria, which bar Russian and Belarusian Paralympians from taking part in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games. The IPC also ruled that they were allowed to compete beyond the medal table.

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

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