On the 28th, the IOC = International Olympic Committee advised international sports organizations and tournament organizers not to let Belarusian athletes, who have an alliance with Russia, which is continuing its military invasion of Ukraine, participate in the international competition.
This was decided by the IOC at a board meeting held on the 28th.
A statement issued by the IOC after the Board recommends that Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials not be invited to or allowed to participate in international competitions.
If it is difficult for legal reasons, it is strongly urged to participate as a player or team in a neutral position, not as a representative of the country, and not to use national flags or national anthems.
Regarding this, the IOC will fully support the IPC = International Paralympic Committee for the Beijing Paralympic Games, which is about to open on March 4.
The statement explains why the recommendation was resolved: "At the Olympics, even if the government participates in the war, it does not punish athletes who do not participate in it from the perspective of fairness, but because the country is under attack. It is a dilemma that Russian and Belarusian athletes can participate while many Ukrainian athletes cannot participate in the Games. "
The IOC has also decided to withdraw the "Olympic Order," a merit award given to three senior Russian government officials, including President Putin, for committing extremely serious acts contrary to the Olympic truce.