Countries not taking part in the Olympic Games is nothing new; many people stepped aside for political reasons, while others boycotted the Games for protest reasons.
The issue of Russia and the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) taking part in the Paris Games, which will be held between July 26 and August 11 this summer, attracted great reaction.
Has Russia been banned from the Olympics?
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, saying it was a violation of the Olympic Truce, and banned athletes from both Russia and Belarus from competing.
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC)’s membership in the IOC has been suspended for the time being after its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was rejected last year.
CAS ruled that the IOC executive board’s initial decision “did not violate the principles of legality, equity, foreseeability or proportionality.”
The IOC suspended the PRC on October 12 last year, after the PRC made a unilateral decision on October 5 to include regional sports organizations under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee as members. These regional organizations were within the territory annexed by the Russian army during its invasion of Ukraine.
So will Russian (and Belarusian) athletes still compete in Paris?
Yes, but with caveats. CAS’ decision to confirm the ROC’s suspension does not affect the ability of individual Russian athletes to compete neutrally at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, provided they meet the eligibility criteria established by the IOC.
A pathway was created that gave athletes individual jurisdiction over whether Russian athletes could compete as neutrals, subject to conditions such as not having direct ties to the military or being active supporters of the war.
Athletics, the major Olympic sport, has opted for an outright ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes since the occupation began in February 2022, but other sports such as swimming have considered their participation neutral.
The inclusion of neutral athletes remains a controversial issue, and Ukraine condemned the decision as “shameful”. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously said that “it is clear that the neutral flags of Russian athletes are stained with blood.”
The PRC said they would not boycott the Games, despite Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo admitting that she would prefer Russian and Belarusian athletes not compete.
Has Russia been banned before?
Yes, but before this was due to widespread doping violations. Paris is the fifth consecutive Summer and Winter Olympics where Russia and its athletes have faced calls for a ban since the steroid-laden games in Sochi in 2014.
For the 2018 Winter Olympics, individual Russian athletes were allowed to compete neutrally as ‘Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR)’ under the Olympic Flag and anthem, and the PRC was suspended by the IOC.
The ROC was reinstated before 2020 but there were still sanctions and for both the 2020 Summer Games and the 2022 Winter Games individual Russian athletes competed under the ‘Russian Olympic Committee’ flag and the acronym ‘ROC’.
There were 335 participants in Tokyo under the name of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). These athletes won 71 medals; this figure was more than Team GB and behind only the USA and China.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia and Belarus were banned by the IOC, and the AIN name was introduced for Russian and Belarusian athletes in March 2023.
What does AIN mean?
AIN stands for Athlète Individuel Neutre; is the French name for an individual neutral athlete and has both the abbreviation and the IOC country code AIN. The delegation was prohibited from using the neutral Olympic flag or anthem. They were also banned from parading at the opening ceremony.
Will the flags of Russia and Belarus be used in the Olympics?
In short, no. Neutral athletes will compete only in individual sports this summer, without emblems, flags and national anthems.
The AIN flag depicts a circular AIN emblem in white on a teal background.
So which anthem will be played if athletes from Russia or Belarus win gold?
The IOC has also prepared a standalone anthem, without lyrics, to be played for Russian or Belarusian gold medalists in France this summer.
How many Russian athletes are expected to compete in Paris?
There are expected to be far fewer Russian athletes in Paris this summer than at previous Games in Tokyo. The IOC expects there will be around 40 independent neutral athletes from Russia competing in Paris. There will be no representation in team sports.
How about Belarus?
The number of Belarusian athletes is expected to be even less, around 20.
