The official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, responded to the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow Russian athletes to participate in the 2024 Olympics in neutral status “Sports Express”.
“Should athletes go to the Olympic Games in Paris? This will be decided by the athletes themselves and the professional community,” said Zakharova.
Russian athletes who rank well in their own disciplines will be allowed to compete.
In 2022, against the background of the start of SVO in Ukraine, the president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach recommended that international federations exclude Russian athletes from international competitions. On January 25, 2023, the IOC announced that it was considering the possibility of allowing Russian athletes who do not support the holding of the SBO to participate in international competitions in a neutral status.
Previously in Ukraine prisoner The IOC’s decision on the admission of Russians to the Olympics.