Russians and Belarussians to not take part in Olympics opening ceremony

The opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics will take place on July 26

Russians and Belarusians will not take part in the parade of athletes at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics in July, the International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday.

The athletes from these countries who qualify for the Games will be competing as independent athletes without their flags and anthems following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The opening ceremony on July 26 will see thousands of athletes travel on boats down the River Seine for several miles toward the Eiffel Tower, instead of the normal parade of teams inside a stadium.

“They will not participate in the parade of delegations during the opening ceremony, since they are individual athletes,” the IOC said following an executive board meeting.

The IOC said athletes from Russia and Belarus who are approved to compete at the Olympics as neutrals will have a chance only “to experience the event” – likely watching from near the river.

The IOC has laid out a vetting procedure for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be granted neutral status, with requirements including that they must not have publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”, or be affiliated with military or state security agencies.

The IOC said it expects about 36 neutral athletes with Russian passports and 22 with Belarus passports to qualify for the Paris Games.

A decision on whether those athletes will be allowed to take part in the August 11 closing ceremony will be taken “at a later stage”, the IOC said.

Any medals won by those athletes will not be included in any medal table and they will have a specifically composed anthem with no words.

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