Paris Mayor wants Russia BANNED from the 2024 Olympics if the country continues the war in Ukraine
Paris Mayor wants Russia BANNED from the 2024 Olympics if the country continues the war in Ukraine… as she u-turns on previous comments by claiming athletes competing under a neutral banner would be ‘totally indecent’
- The IOC announced a pathway to allow Russian athletes to compete neutrally
- Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo claims neutral participation would be ‘indecent’
- Nordic nations have urged the IOC to ban Russia and Belarus from the Games
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has insisted she is opposed to athletes from Russia and Belarus competing at next year’s Olympic Games, after previously appearing to support their participation under a neutral banner.
The International Olympic Committee last month paved the way for participants from Russia and Belarus to enter qualification for the Games despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Hidalgo had appeared to back the IOC’s position, telling L’Equipe that athletes ‘should not be deprived of their competition’.
Her stance was questioned during an interview with France Info, with the Paris Mayor declaring her opposition to athletes from Belarus and Russia competing neutrally.
Hidalgo insisted she was ‘not in favour of this option’, adding she considered it to be ‘totally indecent’.
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Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said she is opposed to athletes from Russia competing neutrally
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The IOC, led by Thomas Bach (left), plans to allow athletes from Russia to compete neutrally
‘As long as there is this war, this Russian aggression on Ukraine, it is not possible to parade as if nothing had happened, to have a delegation come to Paris, while the bombs continue to rain down on Ukraine,’ Hidalgo said.
She did leave the door open to Russian dissidents who oppose Vladimir Putin’s war to feature at the Games, as part of the Refugee Olympic Team.
The Refugee Olympic Team was introduced for the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Hidalgo’s comments further increase pressure on the IOC, who will ultimately determine the entries to next year’s Games.
The IOC Executive Board last month confirmed it would explore a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete neutrally at the Games, insisting that ‘no athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport’.
The pathway explored by the IOC would require Russian and Belarusian athletes to meet ‘strict conditions’ to compete as a neutral athletes.
Among the conditions which would be considered would be the a requirement that athletes have not actively supported the war in Ukraine.
The focus on the issue comes with qualification process for Paris 2024 set to ramp up this year, with a proposal being considered for athletes from Russia and Belarus to enter qualification events in Asia, rather than Europe.
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Ukraine have threatened to boycott next year’s Games should Russian athletes compete
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Russian athletes under the National Olympic Committee banner at both the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympic Games
The IOC also highlighted the presence of athletes from the two nations currently competing within professional leagues, as well as some individual sports.
In a lengthy question-and-answer document published last week, the IOC said two United Nations human rights experts support the view that Russians and Belarusians should not face discrimination just for the passport they hold.
The IOC also refuted comparisons to when the Apartheid-era South Africa were excluded from the Olympics for more than 20 years and when athletes from the former Yugoslavia competed as independent neutrals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
The organisation noted United Nations sanctions were in place in both cases, whereas neither Russia nor Belarus have been sanctioned over the war in Ukraine.
Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, can veto any of its proposed resolutions.
The IOC’s document came after Ukrainian leaders including president Volodymyr Zelensky and sports minister Vadim Guttsait threatened to boycott the Games.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the National Olympic Committees of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden reiterated their opposition to athletes from Russia and Belarus from attending the Games.
The Prime Ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania last week suggested a boycott of the Games could be possible, should athletes from the two nations be allowed to compete.