- cgtn.com
Paris – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said that preparations are going well with one year to go until the Paris 2024 Games.
After sailing down the Seine River to witness the spectacular opening ceremony on July 26, 2024, Bach officially invited 203 countries to take part in the Summer Games.
The list of invited countries does not include Russia and Belarus, Moscow's allies in the invasion of Ukraine.
However, the IOC opened the door for Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part in Paris as individuals.
Their participation could potentially trigger a boycott from Ukraine.
Logo Olimpiade Paris 2024
- insider.com
Bach refused to get too far into the issue of the two countries, while the IOC will make a decision on the matter. However, he noted that many sports federations allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part as neutrals in qualifying events.
"It will depend on further developments. We see now international federations implementing our requirements for the participation of neutral athletes and individuals." Bach said.
"We will keep an eye on this, based on these results we will take a decision at the right time."
Potential difficulties for the IOC were already evident at the world fencing championships in Milan on Wednesday, when Ukraine's Igor Reizlin withdrew from his bout with Vadim Anokhin following his government's policy of banning its athletes from competing against Russia.
Ukraine's Sports Minister Vadym Gutzeit was ambivalent about the Olympic boycott itself when interviewed by French newspaper Le Monde.
"We have not made a decision about the Olympics," Gutzeit said.
"We are waiting for the final decision and to know whether (Russia and Belarus) will be allowed to compete or not."
The foreign ministers of the Baltic states led by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania released a statement reiterating their stance not to allow Russia and Belarus to take part in Paris in any way.
"We call on the IOC to enforce its own restrictive measures as long as Russia continues its unprovoked, unjustified and illegal war of aggression and does not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to the Games in any status," Wrote the countries' joint statement.
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