June 2nd 2024.
Russia has a long and storied past at the Olympic Games, spanning over 128 years. However, as we look ahead to Paris 2024, we are about to witness a new chapter in Russia's Olympic history. This time, the country's athletes will be competing under a completely new title.
The International Olympic Committee recently made the decision to allow Russian athletes to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes. This comes in light of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. The same ruling was also extended to Belarus, as they had sided with Russia in the invasion.
What does this mean for the athletes from these countries? Well, they will now compete without any mention of their home country, similar to how Russian and Belarusian tennis players are presented at other major events. This is not the first time that Russia has faced disciplinary action from the IOC. In fact, over 100 of their athletes were banned from the 2016 Rio Olympics due to the World Anti-Doping Agency's findings of systematic doping. This had a ripple effect on subsequent Olympic Games.
So, what exactly is an Individual Neutral Athlete? This term refers to athletes who hold passports from either Russia or Belarus and will be competing at the upcoming Games in July and August. They are also referred to as AINs, which stands for Athlètes Individuels Neutres in French. These athletes must meet certain eligibility requirements in order to compete. However, at the Games, there will be no mention of their country and they will not participate in any team sports.
The IOC released a statement saying that the sanctions against those responsible for the war, including the Russian and Belarusian states and governments, will remain in place for the Paris 2024 Olympics. This means that there will be no display of flags, anthems, or any other form of national identification for these countries at the Games. The AINs will also not be included in the official medal table, and their competition gear and anthem are yet to be revealed.
Despite the controversies surrounding Russia, they have consistently proven to be a major competitor at the Olympic Games. They first competed as the Russian Empire in 1900, 1908, and 1912. After a brief hiatus, they returned as the Soviet Union in 1952 and then as the Unified Team in 1992 after the union's break-up. Since then, they have competed as Russia and have consistently finished in the top four at each Games until the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The decision to allow neutral athletes to compete has been met with mixed reactions. Some see it as a workable solution, a compromise to allow individual athletes to still showcase their hard work and talent. However, others argue that it is not an ideal solution and that it may also be hurtful to Ukrainian athletes. In the end, it seems to be the best way to handle the situation and we can only hope that the Games will bring people together in the spirit of sport, despite political tensions.
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