Athletes from Russia and Belarus will be not be able to take part in the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics on July 26
Thursday 21 March 2024 12:37, UK
The International Olympic Committee says Russia has reached a "new low" following "extremely aggressive" comments made towards the ruling body and its president Thomas Bach.
On Tuesday, the IOC ruled that athletes from Russia and Belarus will not be able to participate in the opening ceremony of this summer's Paris Olympics.
The IOC also criticised Russia's plan to stage a 'Summer Friendship Games' in the cities of Moscow and Ekaterinburg in September, rivalling Paris 2024, and urged sports and governments to boycott the event.
The reaction of Kremlin spokespeople and several Russian political commentators has been denounced by Bach, who said in a press conference call on Wednesday: "There are more quotes coming from Russia which are extremely aggressive.
"Since some of them are very personal, I would like to ask (IOC spokesperson) Mark Adams to answer."
Adams said: "We have seen some very aggressive statements out of Russia today. One comment goes beyond that.
"Linking the president, his nationality and the Holocaust is unacceptable and reaches a new low."
Following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia, as well as Belarus, have been banned from the Olympics but athletes from those countries who have qualified for Paris can compete as neutrals.
"Everybody who is following the rules is welcome in the Olympic movement," Bach added. "From the moment the Russian Olympic Committee follows the rules, they are welcome, so the ball is in their court at this moment."
Russians and Belarusians who qualify for the Games will be competing as independent athletes without their flags and anthems following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The opening ceremony on July 26 will see thousands of athletes travel on boats down the River Seine for several miles toward the Eiffel Tower, instead of the normal parade of teams inside a stadium.
"They will not participate in the parade of delegations during the opening ceremony, since they are individual athletes," the IOC said following an executive board meeting.
The IOC said athletes from Russia and Belarus who are approved to compete at the Olympics as neutrals will have a chance only "to experience the event" - likely watching from near the river.
The IOC has laid out a vetting procedure for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be granted neutral status, with requirements including that they must not have publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special military operation", or be affiliated with military or state security agencies.
The IOC said it expects about 36 neutral athletes with Russian passports and 22 with Belarus passports to qualify for the Paris Games.
A decision on whether those athletes will be allowed to take part in the August 11 closing ceremony will be taken "at a later stage", the IOC said.
Any medals won by those athletes will not be included in any medal table and they will have a specifically composed anthem with no words.
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