MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. The upcoming Olympic Games in Paris will be one of the worst in history due to the pressure that will be exerted on Russian athletes, Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin told Sport-Express.

"To be honest, I think the Olympics in Paris will be one of the worst in history in terms of pressure on athletes," Karjakin said. "You know what my opinion is. I think there is no need to attend the Games under the current conditions. But those who do go will definitely face unprecedented pressure from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and everyone else. So, I don't know who will dare to do it, we'll see," the grandmaster added.

The Olympic Games in Paris will be held from July 26 to August 11. The IOC has cleared Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part as neutrals. They will not be allowed to participate in the parade of athletes at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games. Whether or not they will be allowed to participate in the closing ceremony has not been decided yet. If they win any gold medals, Russians and Belarusians will be awarded under a special wordless melody. The IOC will not require the Russian and Belarusian athletes to sign a document condemning the special military operation.