U.S. And 34 Other Nations ‘Do Not Agree’ Russian Athletes Should Be In 2024 Olympics

Topline

Representatives from 34 nations—including the U.S., Canada, the UK and host country France—said Monday they “do not agree” Russian or Belarusian athletes should participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics, following calls by some European countries to boycott the event because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. and 34 other nations “do not agree” Russian athletes should be allowed at the ’24 Olympics.

AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

A letter sent by the representatives to the International Olympic Committee denounced a decision allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate as independent Olympians, adding “there is no practical reason” to not ban them from the event.

The letter includes signatures from 34 countries, in addition to four others—Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Denmark—that previously said they would boycott the event if the athletes are allowed to compete.

If Russian or Belarusian athletes were to participate, the IOC should clarify how they would participate without identifying with their respective countries since “they are directly funded and supported by their states,” the letter says.

U.S. officials previously supported barring Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Olympics unless it is “absolutely clear” they are not representing their respective countries, according to Politico.

Crucical Quote

Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, suggested earlier this month that Russian and Belarusian athletes be banned from the Olympics “as long as there is this war, this Russian aggression on Ukraine.”

What To Watch For

Kamil Bortniczuk, Poland’s sports minister, told Reuters last month he expected the group to announce boycotts in the leadup to the 2024 Olympics.

Surprising Fact

Some sports organizations have already implemented bans on Russian or Belarusian athletes, including Wimbledon, which banned tennis players from Russia and Belarus last year. The Union Cycliste Internationale—the governing body for sports cycling—has also banned Russian and Belarusian cyclists from participating on teams representing their countries. Despite these bans, others believe it is wrong to punish individual athletes. Other than Wimbledon, the other three tennis grand slams allow participation by Russian and Belarusian athletes, with the U.S. Open saying last year it would allow them to enter its tournament to not hold “the individual athletes accountable for the actions and decisions of their governments.”

Key Background

The Russian Olympic Committee has faced several sanctions in recent years. The World Anti-Doping Agency found evidence of a state-sponsored doping program at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, resulting in Russian athletes being banned from participating under the Russian flag. Russian athletes have competed under the moniker ROC and an Olympic flag at all international competitions in 2016. These sanctions were set to expire in December 2022, though WADA has not said whether it would reinstate Russia. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the IOC said it “strongly condemns” Russia’s breach of the Olympic Truce, a UN-supported resolution that prohibits all warfare during and a week after competition.

U.S. And 34 Other Nations ‘Do Not Agree’ Russian Athletes Should Be In 2024 Olympics—Boycott Brewing