Ukraine "Will boycott if Russian and Belarus athletes participate"
IOC "Cannot return to Cold War era"
As Ukraine hinted at the possibility of boycotting the 2024 Paris Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a strong warning.
According to major foreign media on the 1st (local time), the IOC stated in a press release, "If Ukraine boycotts the Olympics, only its own athletes will be hurt." It added, "A boycott will have no impact on the Ukraine war, which the world wants to end and the IOC has vehemently condemned."
On the 28th of last month, the IOC held an executive board meeting and gave final approval for athletes from Russia, which invaded Ukraine, and its ally Belarus to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifying events as individuals under a neutral flag. This marks the lifting of international sports sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year, after one year.
However, the IOC stated, "While athletes from the two countries are allowed to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifiers, whether they will be allowed to compete in the main event will be decided and announced later," thus keeping the matter pending.
Furthermore, since the war in Ukraine is not yet over, athletes affiliated with the military or intelligence agencies, or teams connected to these organizations, are prohibited from participating in the Olympic qualifiers. Athletes from the two countries are also barred from team events and group competitions.
Following the IOC's decision, the Ukrainian government declared an Olympic boycott on the 31st of last month. Vadym Huttsait, Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and Ukraine’s Minister of Youth and Sports, stated, "If our athletes have to face Russian athletes in the Paris Olympic qualifiers, we may prohibit our athletes from participating."
However, the IOC, which insists on strict separation of politics and sports, responded firmly, saying, "We cannot return to the Cold War era."
If Ukraine boycotts the Paris Olympics, it would violate the Olympic Charter rule that "each National Olympic Committee (NOC) is obliged to send athletes to participate in the Olympics," making disciplinary action by the IOC inevitable. Additionally, if athletes do not participate in the Olympic qualifiers, the NOC risks losing its status from the respective International Sports Federations (IFs).
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