05/07/26 11:38:00
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05/07 09:06 CDT IOC urges sports to let Belarus athletes compete again without
vetting as neutrals
IOC urges sports to let Belarus athletes compete again without vetting as
neutrals
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) --- Athletes from Belarus should once again compete
with their full national identity and not be vetted for neutral status, the
International Olympic Committee said on Thursday.
Though the advice to sports governing bodies does not yet apply also to Russia,
it seemed to point toward being closer to ending Russia's isolation in Olympic
circles during its war on Ukraine.
One barrier to Russia's return is an ongoing World Anti-Doping Agency
investigation into recent reports implicating Russian anti-doping agency
official Veronika Loginova.
The IOC said its executive board noted "with concern the recent information"
being looked at by WADA, without naming Loginova.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus had to be approved as neutrals who did not
support the war for individual events at the 2024 Paris Olympics and February's
Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. A total of 32 athletes competed in Paris,
combining to win five medals including one gold in trampoline by an athlete
from Belarus.
"The IOC reaffirms that athletes' participation in international competition
should not be limited by the actions of their governments, including
involvement in a war or conflict," the Olympic body said.
The IOC noted the qualification period for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
"starts this summer."
The Russian Olympic Committee has been suspended by the IOC since October 2023
for incorporating regional sports bodies in illegally occupied eastern Ukraine.
"Whilst the ROC has held constructive exchanges with the IOC on its
suspension," the IOC said, "it remains suspended while the IOC Legal Affairs
Commission continues to review the matter."
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AP Winter Olympics at https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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