The IOC did not invite Russia and Belarus to the 2024 Olympic Games

Belarus and Russia did not receive an invitation from the International Olympic Committee to the Summer Olympics to be held next summer in Paris. The International Olympic Committee sent invitations to 203 countries, excluding Guatemala, Russia and Belarus.

These three countries will not be represented under their flags at the Olympics in Paris.

At the same time, the decision regarding the performances of Russian and Belarusian athletes has not yet been made. Until recently, the benchmark for making this decision was September-October. However, IOC President Thomas Bach said that the IOC had not set a specific time frame for a verdict on the matter. "As soon as we have a clear picture, we will make a decision," explained the head of the Olympic movement.

The Olympic Games will be held in July-August 2024. Most likely, Russia and Belarus will not compete there in team sports. On the other hand, the probability of the appearance of Belarusian and Russian athletes in individual competitions in the status of "neutral" remains quite high.

• In January 2023, the International Olympic Committee recommended allowing Russians and Belarusians to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris under a neutral flag, and then criticized the Ukrainian governmentʼs decision to bar its athletes from qualifying competitions for the 2024 Olympics, shared with Russians and Belarusians. The IOC stated that "governments do not decide which athletes can participate in which international competitions."
• 35 countries opposed the admission of Russians and Belarusians to international sports competitions due to the war in Ukraine. Germany has said that it will deny visas to Russian athletes if the IOC allows them to participate in international competitions.
• The Ministry of Sports of Ukraine published a list of Russian and Belarusian athletes who support a full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. A "portfolio" was created for each person on the list with evidence of their support for Russiaʼs aggression against Ukraine.
• The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) did not allow the Russian national team to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games. The World Badminton Federation also extended the ban on participation in tournaments for Russians and Belarusians.