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WADA expects over 40 Russians to take part in Paris Olympics

WADA President Witold Banka noted that 330 athletes from the Russian Olympic Committee took part in the Tokyo Olympics

LONDON, April 9. /TASS/. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) believes that over 40 Russian athletes will be able to take part in the Paris Olympics, WADA President Witold Banka said.

"Speaking about the [Paris Olympic] Games, of course, we don’t know currently how many of neutral athletes will qualify for the Games, but experts estimate that it will probably be more or less 40, maybe more," he said at the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) General Assembly.

"For comparison, 330 athletes from the Russian Olympic Committee took part in the Tokyo [Olympics]. Despite this, we're, of course, skeptical when it comes to anti-doping in Russia. We remain really vigilant and, of course, history has taught us to be extremely cautious when it comes to the anti-doping system there," he added.

The Paris Olympics will take place between July 26 and August 11, 2024. Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete only as neutrals, and only on the condition that they are not affiliated with security agencies and do not represent team sports. The International Olympic Committee will not require them to sign a document condemning the special military operation. Russian and Belarusians will not be allowed to take part in the opening parade of athletes, but they will be allowed to attend the event. Should they win any gold medals, a specially composed music will accompany their awards ceremony.

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