July 23rd 2024.
The Olympics is an incredible event where athletes have the honor of representing their country on the world's biggest stage. They proudly compete under the flag of their home country, and their accomplishments are celebrated and credited to the nation they hail from. In the recently concluded Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the United States was praised for winning the most gold medals with 39, followed by the host nation Japan with 27, and Australia with 17 gold medals. It's amazing to think that out of the 195 countries in the world, 207 Olympic teams were formed. But how is this possible?
Well, technically speaking, it's not the countries themselves that compete in the Olympics, but rather the athletes who are selected by their National Olympic Committees (NOCs). For the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, around 10,500 athletes from 206 NOCs and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team will be participating. This means that there will be 12 more teams than the official number of countries, as some teams represent political entities rather than countries. These NOCs include all 193 member states of the United Nations, as well as Palestine, Kosovo, Taiwan, and the Cook Islands, which are not recognized by the UN as independent countries. There are also nine dependent territories with recognized NOCs, including four territories of the US, three British Overseas Territories, one constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and one special administrative region of China.
One question that often arises is whether Russia will be competing in the Olympics. After their invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Russian athletes could compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN). The same allowance was given to athletes from Belarus, a country that supported Russia in the invasion. However, these athletes had to be individually approved by the IOC and must not have publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine. This means that they will not represent their countries and will not appear in medal tallies or participate in team events, similar to how Russian and Belarusian tennis players are presented at other international events.
But can Olympians compete with no country at all? While most athletes represent their country, there are exceptions, such as Russian and Belarusian athletes, as well as members of the Refugee Olympic Team. This team is made up of 37 athletes who represent the more than 100 million forcibly displaced people around the world. This year, the team is led by chef de mission Masomah Ali Zada, who was also a member of the Refugee Olympic Team at Tokyo 2020. The majority of these athletes are supported through the Refugee Athlete Scholarship Programme, which is funded by Olympic Solidarity and managed by the Olympic Refuge Foundation. The IOC Executive Board has selected the Refugee Olympic Team to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Another question that often arises is whether Olympians can compete for a team other than their own nationality. The answer is no. According to the Olympic Charter, a competitor must be a national of the country of the NOC under which they are entered. In cases where an athlete holds dual citizenship, they can choose which country to represent. However, changing NOCs is only allowed under certain circumstances.
Don't miss a single moment of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 as it will be broadcasted live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. For an ad-free and 4K viewing experience, tune in to Stan Sport. It's an event that brings the world together, and we can't wait to witness the amazing feats of these incredible athletes.
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