The IOC also said athletes who actively support the war in Ukraine and those contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military are ineligible. "Participation in the Olympics is an athlete’s dream," Russia's Sports Minister Matytsin was quoted as saying by TASS. By doing so, they harm the Olympic Games themselves, and not Russian sports. "You may well see some neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus in Paris, it just won't be in athletics," Coe said. Ukraine has opposed the presence of Russian competitors, even as neutrals, at the Paris Olympics.

Source: Forbes December 09, 2023 05:58 UTC