Russian, Belarusian athletes excluded from Olympics opening ceremony

Russian and Belarusian athletes won’t be allowed to participate within the conventional parade on the opening ceremony on the Paris Olympics, the IOC stated Tuesday.

The opening ceremony on July 26 will see 1000’s of athletes journey on boats down the River Seine for a number of miles towards the Eiffel Tower, as a substitute of the conventional parade of groups inside a stadium.

The Worldwide Olympic Committee stated athletes from Russia and Belarus who’re accredited to compete on the Olympics as neutrals can have an opportunity solely “to expertise the occasion” — doubtless watching from close to the river.

The IOC choice follows the Worldwide Paralympic Committee which two weeks in the past introduced a ban for its Paris opening ceremony on Aug. 28.

Russia and Belarus are barred from staff sports activities on the Olympics due to the battle in Ukraine and the IOC has laid out a two-step vetting process for particular person athletes from these international locations to be granted impartial standing. These athletes should first be accredited by the governing physique of their particular person sport after which by an IOC-appointed evaluation panel.

Impartial athletes should not have publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine, or be affiliated with navy or state safety companies. It’s unclear if membership in a Russian navy sports activities membership, resembling CSKA, can be a purpose for denying impartial standing.

The IOC stated Tuesday it expects about 36 impartial athletes with Russian passports and 22 with Belarusian passports to qualify for the Paris Video games.

A call on whether or not these athletes can be allowed to participate within the Aug. 11 closing ceremony can be taken “at a later stage,” the IOC stated.

Any medals gained by impartial athletes won’t be counted as a collective group within the general medals desk.

The IOC additionally revealed particulars of the alternative flag in jade inexperienced that can be used for impartial athletes at medal ceremonies, the place a specifically written anthem with out lyrics can be performed.

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In one other supply of pressure between Olympic leaders and Russian sport, the IOC determined Tuesday that the Worldwide Boxing Affiliation led by Kremlin-backed Umar Kremlev won’t be concerned in organizing bouts for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The IOC additionally threatened to take away boxing from the Los Angeles program in what appeared like a problem to nationwide federations worldwide to distance themselves from the IBA and Kremlev.

The IOC withdrew its recognition of the IBA final yr and the physique was not allowed to participate in organizing boxing on the earlier Tokyo Olympics or in Paris. However Kremlev has additional riled the IOC with confrontational feedback and help for the rival Friendship Video games scheduled in Russia in September.

“If we shouldn’t have a brand new boxing physique to work in partnership with the IOC, we won’t be ready to have boxing on the program of (Los Angeles),” the Olympic physique stated.

Two Russian athletes who’ve modified national-team eligibility to completely different international locations obtained these strikes accredited by the IOC.

Swimmer Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, a two-time European silver medalist in distance freestyle occasions, is eligible to characterize France on the Olympics, and Greco-Roman wrestler Aleksandr Komarov can compete for Serbia. He gained the European championship this yr.

The IOC eased a suspension imposed 18 months in the past on the nationwide Olympic physique of Guatemala due to alleged authorities interference.

The IOC cited “the curiosity of the athletes” as a purpose for provisionally lifting the ban, which ought to clear the best way for Guatemalan athletes to compete in Paris with their flag, anthem and staff title.

The president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, got here to Switzerland for talks with the IOC final month.

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