Russia, Belarus excluded from 2024 Paris Olympics

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The International Olympic Committee will not invite Russia or Belarus to the 2024 games. Associated Press/Photo by Jae Hong

Russia, Belarus excluded from 2024 Paris Olympics

The International Olympic Committee on Thursday said Russia and Belarus will not receive invitations for their national teams to compete in next year’s games because of their aggression toward Ukraine. A Kremlin spokesman called the decision unfair and politically motivated. The IOC will send invitations to more than 200 other countries later this month.

Does the decision exclude anyone from these countries? The IOC in March recommended that athletes from Russia and Belarus be allowed to participate as independent, neutral athletes. Ukrainian officials said their athletes should boycott competitions with Russian and Belarusian participants. At least 260 Ukrainian athletes have died since Russia invaded in February 2022, according to Ukraine’s Sports Minister Vadym Guttsait.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Stew about why some dignitaries boycotted the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.