IOC's Controversial Decision on Russian Athletes Sparks Outrage in Ukraine
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that some Russian athletes will be allowed to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics, despite the invasion of Ukraine. The decision follows the IOC's efforts to reintegrate Russia and Belarus into global sports and allows individual athletes who have not actively supported the war and are not contracted to military or state security agencies to compete under neutral status. However, Russia remains banned from team sports. The IOC stated that eight Russians and three Belarusians are among the 4,600 athletes worldwide who have qualified for the Summer Games so far.