The Olympics Rings on the Trocadero Esplanade near the Eiffel Tower in Paris © Getty Images

Olympic chiefs on Friday gave Russian and Belarusian athletes the green light to compete as neutrals in next year's Paris Games, outside team events and provided they do not actively support the war in Ukraine.


The International Olympic Committee added that at the moment there are only eight athletes from Russia and three from Belarus who have qualified as neutral athletes. This compares with more than 60 Ukrainian athletes who have qualified for the Paris Games next year.

The IOC Executive Board, it said, "has decided that those AINs who have qualified through the existing qualification systems of the International Federations (IFs) on the field of play will be declared eligible to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games".

But only if they are in compliance with strict eligibility conditions. Also excluded are "athletes actively supporting the war" and "athletes under contract to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security services".

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin attends a conference of Russia's Athletics Federation in Moscow © Getty Images
Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin attends a conference of Russia's Athletics Federation in Moscow © Getty Images

In addition, "no flag, anthem, colours or other identification of Russia or Belarus will be on display in any official venue or at any official event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games".

"No Russian or Belarusian government or state officials will be invited or have accreditation to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games".

Russia has denounced the conditions imposed on its athletes as "discriminatory", but has said that athletes who meet the criteria will still go to Paris.

"The conditions are discriminatory. They go against the principles of sport," said Russian sports minister Oleg Matytsin. "They are causing damage to the Olympic Games themselves, not to Russian sport. The approach is unacceptable."

World athletics president Sebastian Coe, however, insisted there would be no neutral athletes competing in athletics at the Games.

Sebastian Coe, World Athletics (WA) president, speaks during a press conference © Getty Images
Sebastian Coe, World Athletics (WA) president, speaks during a press conference © Getty Images

Athletes from Russia and Belarus have faced sanctions from a multitude of sports since Moscow launched its assault on Ukraine in February 2022.

Over the past year a number of Olympic sports have eased restrictions, allowing athletes from both countries to return to competition under certain conditions.

However, Russians and Belarusians have remained banned from athletics. "You may well see some neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus in Paris, it just won't be in athletics," Coe told a press conference.

"The position that our sport took and has consistently taken is unchanged."