Paris Olympics: Russia, Belarus to be exempted from medal table – IOC

The International Olympics Committee says that Russia and Belarus will not be in the medals table at the forthcoming Paris 2024 Olympics neither will it allow their flags and national anthems at the Games
IOC said the decision is because athletes from Russia and Belarus will be competing at the Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN)
Russia and Belarus are banned from sending teams to the Games following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has been supported by Belarus.

But the countries are being invited to send individual athletes who meet strict criteria set out by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) relating to whether athletes support the war or have military links.

Russia has historically sent some of the largest contingents to the Olympics even when competing at recent Games under sanctions imposed after a doping scandal and is one of the medal-winning heavyweights.

The IOC has invited just 36 Russian and 24 Belarusian athletes of which only 15 Russians and 17 Belarusians have accepted the invitations. At Tokyo 2020, the Russian Olympic Committee sent 335 athletes and Belarus sent 101.

While Russia has said it was not planning to boycott the Games, its Weightlifting Federation has cited the “unsportsmanlike selection principle” in guiding its decision to turn down invitations for 10 athletes. Nine of those athletes initially accepted an invitation, according to the IOC.

Also among the 15 Russians to accept an invitation are a further six tennis players, one trampoline gymnast, three canoeists, three road cyclists and one swimmer.

According to the IOC, nine of 10 invited wrestlers had initially accepted an invitation but have subsequently declined. The other declined immediately.

Among the 21 to have turned down invitations are tennis players Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov and Daria Kasatkina and road cyclist Aleksandr Vlasov.

Meanwhile, among the 17 Belarusians to accept an invitation is Ivan Litvinovich, who will be defending his men’s trampoline title.

He is joined by another trampoline gymnast, three swimmers, two canoeists, two shooters, two rowers, two wrestlers, two weightlifters, one road cyclist and one taekwondo athlete.

Among the seven Belarusians to have declined are two-time Grand Slam tennis champions Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka.

If an AIN is on the podium, the teal and white flag featuring the AIN logo will be raised at the medal ceremony.

Athletes may use this emblem on their kit, which must otherwise be white or unicolour.

The athletes cannot display any Russian or Belarusian colours, flags or emblems as these are also banned from the venues.