MOSCOW, August 2. /TASS/. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has approved a list of 92 Russian athletes for their participation in the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in France, President of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) Pavel Rozhkov told TASS on Friday.
"Since the National Paralympic Committees had to submit their applications with the Paris-2024 Organizing Committee before August 5, the IPC Executive Committee has approved the list of the Russian Paralympic team of athletes and accompanying staff of 160 people and it includes some 92 Paralympians," Rozhkov said in an interview with TASS.
"The International Paralympic Committee also sent its confirmation letter to us earlier in the day stating that we all passed the compliance regulations regarding the neutral-status requirements and were cleared to participate in the upcoming Paralympics," Rozhkov stated. "All members of the [Russian] delegation have passed the biometrics procedures that are obligatory to obtain entry visas."
"I would like to point out that there is no final decision as of yet about Russia’s participation in the [2024 Summer Paralympic] Games," Rozhkov said. "The RPC jointly with the all-Russia sports federations, coaching staff and athletes will make this decision in the nearest future."
"We [RPC] carry on with the organizational measures and in line with regulatory documents provided by the IPC and the Games Organizing Committee, while our athletes continue preparing for the competitions," he noted.
"The RPC is in permanent dialogue with the IPC and the [Paris-2024] Organizing Committee, the equipment has been approved, the delegation’s preliminary registration took place, a contract for the air transportation was inked and other arrangements were settled as well," he noted.
"The final registration for the Games will be held at the Paralympic Village in Paris on August 20 and we hope to receive places in the field and track athletics, swimming, triathlon, taekwondo and table tennis competitions," the RPC chief added.
The 2024 Summer Paralympic Games will be held in the French capital of Paris between August 28 and September 8.
RPC’s way to 2024 Paris Paralympics
On March 6, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) published strict eligibility criteria that Russian and Belarusian athletes and support personnel must meet and adhere to in order to participate as neutrals at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris.
According to the IPC’s requirements "Neutral athletes will compete under a white flag featuring black lettering spelling out NPA [Neutral Paralympic Athletes]." The IPC also ruled that "NPA will compete as individuals in neutral uniforms under an NPA flag, and will not feature on the medals table or march in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies."
On September 29, 2023, the IPC General Assembly ruled at its session in Bahrain to suspend some of the rights the RPC has within the global organization.
However, the IPC General Assembly cleared Russian athletes to participate under a neutral status in international competition, including in the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
In mid-March this year, RPC President Rozhkov told TASS that Russian Paralympians and accompanying staff would don turquoise and beige at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
"They will wear varying shades of turquoise and beige… In line with the requirements on the neutral status participation of athletes, all national colors are prohibited from being displayed on uniforms and, in our case, this means the white, blue and red colors," Rozhkov said at that time.