In a statement on the morning of the 26th (Korean time), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said, “We cannot ban athletes from participating on the grounds of their passports (nationality).” “Representation of countries (Russia and Belarus) or organizations within countries is prohibited,” the IOC added. It means that not only the name of the country, but also the national flag and national anthem are not allowed. The IOC emphasized, “Athletes who compete as neutral must not engage in acts that violate the spirit of peace in the Olympic Charter, such as supporting the war in Ukraine.”
After a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on the 24th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinsky posted on social media that “Russian athletes have no place at the Paris Olympics.”
It is argued that Russian athletes should be banned from participating in the Paris Olympics, but the IOC decided to allow it with the condition of neutral qualification. 메이저사이트
In 2017, Russia was banned from participating in international competitions for taking prohibited substances and concealing or manipulating the results of doping tests at the state level. The disciplinary period of Russia’s international ban was until December 16, 2022 last year.
However, Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. Belarus is Russia’s ally and is putting pressure on Ukraine through joint military exercises. This is the reason why the IOC does not allow Russia and Belarus to participate in international competitions such as the Olympics. In major international tournaments such as the tennis Australian Open being held in Melbourne, Australia, players from Russia and Belarus compete as neutrals and are prohibited from playing the national flag or national anthem.
At the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and last year’s Beijing Winter Olympics, Russian athletes competed as neutrals.