IOC excludes Russia and Belarus from Paris 2024 Olympics

The International Olympic Committee has officially invited 203 National Olympic Committees, excluding Guatemala, Russia, and Belarus, to participate in the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.

This is reported on the IOC website.

"Exactly one year before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today officially invited National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and their best athletes to participate in the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, which will be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024.", the message reads.

Speaking at the ceremony, IOC President Thomas Bach noted that with the Games in Paris, "a new era of the Olympic Games" is coming because "these Olympic Games will be more inclusive, younger, more urban and more sustainable. It will be the first Olympic Games to be held with perfect gender parity".

"In total, invitations to Paris 2024 were sent to 203 NOCs that have the right to participate in the competition. This does not include the NOC of Guatemala, which is currently suspended, as well as the NOCs of Russia and Belarus," the press release states.

It is also indicated that the IOC previously announced that "it will decide at the appropriate time on the participation of individual neutral athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport, in accordance with the recommendations for international federations and organizers of international sports events regarding the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in international competitions. "

For reference:

At the end of January, the IOC announced its intention to return athletes from Russia and Belarus to performances at international competitions under a neutral flag.

Ukraine declared the inadmissibility of the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympics, stressing that as long as the war continues in Ukraine, the aggressor countries should not be allowed to compete in any status, even under a neutral flag.