By Humberto Viera
18 Jul 2024, 11:28 AM EDT
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has published the final list of Russian athletes who will be allowed to compete as neutrals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The final figure is just 15 athletes, a drastic reduction compared to the 335 who participated in Tokyo 2021 under the banner of the Refugee Olympic Team.
The selected athletes come from a variety of disciplines: seven tennis players, three canoeists, three cyclists, one swimmer and one trampoline gymnast. Among the most prominent names are tennis player Daniil Medvedev, swimmer Yevgeny Somov and gymnast Anzhela Bladtseva.
It is worth noting that 21 athletes, mostly wrestlers and judokas, withdrew from participating despite having received IOC approval. The federations of these disciplines claimed that the IOC prevented the participation of some of their best athletes, which motivated their decision to withdraw en masse.
Russian athletes’ participation in Paris 2024 will be subject to strict restrictions: they will compete as neutrals, without wearing national symbols or listening to their anthem. In addition, there will be no Russian representation in team sports.
The IOC’s decision has sparked controversy. Some countries, such as Ukraine, have threatened to boycott the Olympics if the entire Russian team is allowed to participate.
As an alternative, Russia planned to host the World Friendship Games in September 2024 for those athletes excluded from the Olympics. However, the event has been postponed until 2025.
The final list of Russian athletes excluded is extensive and includes those who have publicly spoken out in favour of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as members of the CSKA and Dynamo clubs, which have historical links with the Russian armed forces and state security bodies.
Team sports such as volleyball, basketball and handball are also banned for Russian athletes.
Russia’s participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics remains a complex and contentious issue. The IOC’s final decision seeks to balance the need to sanction the invasion of Ukraine with respect for the principles of sport and the inclusion of athletes who bear no responsibility for the actions of their government.
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