MOSCOW, December 10 In Kiev they intend to analyze whether the participation in the 2024 Olympics is in the interests of Ukraine, if the International Olympic Committee does not change its position, participation is “impossible,” said the acting Minister of Youth and Sports of the country Matvey Bedny amid reports that the IOC announced the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Games under a neutral flag.
On Friday, the IOC announced the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Games in Paris in an individual neutral status, subject to a number of criteria.
““If we analyze and understand that we need to take part in such competitions and use the Olympic Games to promote our position in the world, then we will work in this direction,” Bedny said on the Rada TV channel, adding that if Kiev sees the “unconstructive position” of the IOC, “which will support the participation of… (Russians – ed.), then our participation is impossible.”
In March, the IOC Executive Committee recommended that Russians and Belarusians be allowed to participate in international competitions in a neutral status if they are not associated with the military structures of the countries and did not speak out in support of the SVO. In the fall, the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) due to the inclusion of the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions in the Olympic councils. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on November 6 that it had registered the ROC's appeal against the IOC suspension.