Paris 2024: Exploring the Concept of Individual Neutral Athletes in the Olympic Games

Russian athletes have participated in the Olympics for 128 years, competing under various names. In Paris 2024, they will be recognized under a new name.

In February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suggested that Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be allowed to compete in global sporting events. This decision was made following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which was backed by Belarus.

In January 2023, the IOC stated that athletes could compete as neutrals, like Russian and Belarusian tennis players do at ATP, WTA, and Grand Slam events without mentioning their nationality.

Later in October 2023, the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee completely for incorporating Ukrainian regional sports organizations in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.

There has been a lot of discussion about whether Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to participate in the Olympics, especially with Ukrainian athletes expressing their worries.

The IOC Executive Board decided that it would not be right to penalize athletes solely based on their nationality, so some were given the opportunity to compete in Paris, but with strict guidelines in place.

Russia's Igor Kobzar serves in the men's gold medal volleyball match between France and Russia during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – there will be no Russian representation in team events this year.

In the men's gold medal volleyball match at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Russia's Igor Kobzar was seen serving. Unfortunately, there will be no Russian teams competing in team events this year.

Antonin Thuillier/AFP/Getty Images

Here’s everything you need to know about the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes at the 2024 Olympics.

An Individual Neutral Athlete is a term used for athletes holding Russian or Belarusian passports who will participate in this year's Games in July and August. They are commonly known by the abbreviation AIN, derived from the French translation Athlètes Individuels Neutres.

These athletes will be permitted to compete if they meet eligibility requirements.

No reference to either country will be made at the Games through the athletes’ participation.

The IOC stated that sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian states and governments will continue during the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

According to the statement, there will be no display of flags, anthems, colors, or any other identifications of Russia or Belarus at any official venue or function during the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Competition gear for the AINs has not been announced yet. It is uncertain if it will feature the turquoise colors of the new flag or if they will wear simple sportswear. Additionally, an anthem without lyrics has been specially created for medal ceremonies.

The final version of the AIN flag assigned by the IOC on March 19.

The final version of the AIN flag assigned by the IOC on March 19.

IOC

While AINs are allowed to participate and even win Olympic medals, their achievements will not be included in the official medal count for countries.

Additionally, AINs will not be part of the delegation parade during the Opening Ceremony, as they are considered individual athletes rather than a team. However, the IOC has assured that they will still have the chance to experience the event.

An Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel was established. In December 2023, the IOC Executive Board made a decision regarding Russian and Belarusian athletes who qualified through international federations' existing systems. They must now meet strict criteria to be considered for selection as AINs.

Team events will not have any representation from Russia or Belarus, but individuals from these countries can still participate.

According to the IOC, athletes who openly support the war or have ties to the military or national security agencies of Russia or Belarus will not be allowed to compete. This rule also applies to support staff.

AINs, like all athletes, must fulfill anti-doping requirements to be eligible for selection. Their eligibility will be assessed by the Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel.

Pau Gasol, a two-time NBA champion and six-time All-Star, is a member of the panel for the IOC Ethics Commission. He will be joined by IOC Vice-President Nicole Hoevertsz, a former artistic swimmer, and Ryu Seung-min, a former Olympic table tennis gold medalist representing the Athletes’ Commission.

International sporting federations are required to submit their lists of qualified athletes to a panel for review. At the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo (postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic) and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Russian athletes participated under the name of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) due to the country's state-sponsored doping program.

Athletes from the ROC enter the stadium in Beijing, China on February 2022.

Athletes from the ROC enter the stadium in Beijing, China on February 2022.

Robert Michael/picture alliance/Getty Images

Athletes could compete under the ROC banner if they could prove that they were not connected to the scandal.

With the ROC bearing both the name and colors of Russia, it was no longer a viable option for Russian athletes to compete under this name in Paris after the ROC was suspended in October.

It's worth mentioning that the ROC was not a neutral body. It was actually a delegation of Russian athletes who didn't officially compete for Russia, but still had the right to represent the country in all other capacities.

At the Paris Olympics, the IOC announced that 12 athletes with a Russian passport and seven athletes with a Belarusian passport have qualified as of March 28. However, the final number of athletes participating in the Games will only be revealed once the selection process is complete.

“The maximum number, which is unlikely to be reached, would be 55 and 28 respectively,” the IOC told CNN.

In comparison, Russia sent 330 athletes to Tokyo in 2021 while Belarus sent 104.

The ROC's Mariya Lasitskene won the gold medal in the women's high jump at the Tokyo Olympics.

The ROC's Mariya Lasitskene won the gold medal in the women's high jump at the Tokyo Olympics.

Kyodo News/Getty Images

There is also the matter of whether Moscow will actually accept the conditions laid out by the IOC.

Russia is set to organize its own “Friendship Games” later this year, a decision criticized by the IOC.

The athletes participating in the event have not been announced yet, but there is a chance that Russian former world No. 1 tennis player Daniil Medvedev may join. The former US Open champion expressed willingness to compete as a neutral athlete.

"I told the reporters last month that whenever I have the chance to play in the Olympics, I want to be there representing what I stand for. Even if I can't compete under my country's flag, I know my identity and the reason I play tennis. This has been my approach throughout my entire life.

Russia has participated in the Olympics twice before under a neutral flag."

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) was suspended in 2017 due to a doping scandal before the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea the next year. However, some Russian athletes who met certain conditions were still able to compete as "Olympic Athletes from Russia" under the Olympic flag.

After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, Russia and Belarus participated as part of the "Unified Team" at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona.

The delegation consisted of former Soviet republics, excluding the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, who chose to participate as a single entity. The Unified Team also carried the Olympic flag, however, medalists were recognized under their own national flags.

Editor's P/S:

The decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the 2024 Olympics as neutral athletes is a controversial one. There are many who believe that