The US also supports the IOC’s controversial plans to reintegrate Russian and Belarusian athletes into world sport. Athletes from the two countries should be allowed to compete in the Olympics, but not under their flag. The White House announced on Thursday.
If athletes are invited to an international event like the Olympics, “it should be absolutely clear that they do not represent the Russian or Belarusian states,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Most recently, the United Nations (UN) had officially pledged their support to the International Olympic Committee. In a statement, two UN experts expressly praised the considerations regarding the admission of neutral athletes.
IOC President Thomas Bach had recently shown himself open to such a model, also referring to the human rights requirements of the Olympic Charter and the United Nations. Especially with a view to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the statements met with a lot of contradiction. Ukraine, which has been suffering from Russia’s war of aggression for almost a year, has already threatened to boycott the summer games.