IOC promises to punish Russian athletes in case of political statements at Olympics

In the case of political statements at the Olympic Games in Paris, Russian athletes will be immediately punished, up to suspension from the competition.

The President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, spoke about the possible measures, reports France24.

As the head of the IOC noted, Russian athletes who will express their political views on sports grounds — in particular, display the Z sign, a symbol of Russia's war against Ukraine — may be removed from the participants.

"Immediately, a disciplinary procedure would be opened, and the necessary measures and or sanctions would be taken. This can go up to immediate exclusion from the Games," Bach assured.

The president of the International Olympic Committee confirmed his support for the IOC's policy of excluding Russia from the Games in Paris due to a "blatant violation" of the Olympic Charter, namely the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories together with sports organizations.

A small number of Russian athletes will be able to compete in Paris in a neutral status if they have not declared public support for the invasion of Ukraine and are not connected to power structures.

What is known about the admission of Russian athletes to the 2024 Olympics and the boycott of Ukrainian athletes

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

At the end of March, the IOC recommended allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete, but under the condition of neutrality. This recommendation only applies to individual sports.

In April of this year, the Ministry of Youth and Sports issued an order banning Ukrainian national teams from competing with athletes from the Russian Federation and Belarus. The restrictions apply to all Olympic, non-Olympic, and Paralympic sports representatives. Federations are obliged to withdraw Ukrainians from tournaments if Belarusian or Russian athletes are there.

The PACE also passed a resolution recommending the International Olympic Committee to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, even under a neutral flag.

The Council of Europe supported the position on the need to exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus from participation in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

It is worth adding that the International Olympic Committee has officially invited 203 national Olympic committees, except the NOCs of Guatemala, Russia, and Belarus, to participate in the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.