The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes will not compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The decision is based on the fact that the athletes have not taken part in FEI events since March 2, 2022 due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions and therefore have not been able to collect the necessary points for Olympic qualification the FEI.
“There will be no representatives of these nations”
“According to the Olympic qualification system for equestrian sports, individual qualification is ensured via the FEI Olympic Rankings for Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, which cover the period from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023. Since Russian and Belarusian athletes have not competed in FEI competitions since March 2, 2022, there will be no representatives of these nations at the 2024 Paris Olympics” said the statement.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently declared that individual athletes from Russia and Belarus would be eligible to take part in the Summer Games in France’s capital despite the war under certain conditions, provided they meet the qualification conditions.
Russia and Belarus without top athletes in equestrian sports
In mid-November, the FEI declared, with reference to the IOC, that it would allow Russians and Belarusians to be neutral athletes again and that the sanctions would be lifted. The ban on international competitions in Russia and Belarus remains. Both countries play no role in top international equestrian sport.