International Olympic Committee recommend ban for Russian and Belarusian athletes

The International Olympic Committee has released a statement recommending that all Russian and Belarusian sportspeople are banned from international competitions.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been condemned by world leaders however long-time allies Belarus support the invasion and have allowed Russian soldiers to enter Ukraine through their border.

“In order to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants, the IOC EB recommends that International Sports Federations and sports event organisers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions,” the statement said.

“Wherever this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons, the IOC EB strongly urges International Sports Federations and organisers of sports events worldwide to do everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports official from Russia or Belarus be allowed to take part under the name of Russia or Belarus. Russian or Belarusian nationals, be it as individuals or teams, should be accepted only as neutral athletes or neutral teams. No national symbols, colours, flags or anthems should be displayed.”

The IOC have also removed the Olympic Orders that had previously been awarded to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak.

Cover Photo: “London 2012 Olympic Games” by amsr_photography is licensed under CC BY 2.0