‘Russian participation works’

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Tuesday defended plans to get Russian and Belarusian athletes back into competitions as neutrals, saying their participation "works" despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The IOC sanctioned Russia and Belarus after the February 2022 invasion but is now eager to see athletes come back across all sports and have a chance to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

It has set out a pathway for these competitors to earn Olympic slots through Asian qualifying and left it up to international federations to decide on organisation, but has faced headwinds, with Ukraine threatening to boycott the Paris Games should they compete there, even as neutrals.

"Participation of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports in international competitions works," Bach said.

"We see this almost every day in a number of sports, most prominently in tennis but also in cycling, in some table tennis competitions."

Russians and Belarusians have been competing as neutrals in some sports. Their presence at some events, such as tennis tournaments, has triggered angry reactions from some other athletes.

Bach said politics could not be a part of sports competitions and athletes should not be punished for their passports.