IOC issues official statement on Russia following Lausanne summit

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has not changed its recommendations regarding the participation of Russians in international competitions, despite the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), according to a press release issued following the summit held on December 5 in Lausanne. According to the IOC website, the number of licenses and the qualification system for the 2024 Games in Paris will not be changed due to the situation with Russian and Belarusian athletes.

The IOC has confirmed that the participation of neutral athletes in the Olympic Games is possible only under the existing strict conditions. The qualification system and the number of quotas allocated will not be changed for athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports. The participants emphasized their solidarity and support for Ukrainian athletes and the Olympic community as a whole.

The summit expressed support for the UN resolution titled "Building a Peaceful and Better World through Sport and the Olympic Ideal". All participants noted the difficult geopolitical situation in the world, where many wars and conflicts are taking place, and expressed hope for a peaceful resolution of the situation.

Representatives of the International Summer Sports Federations said that individual neutral athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports took part in many tournaments, following strict admission conditions.

Earlier, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Sergei Fesikov was outraged by the conditions of admission to international competitions and added that the world was forcing Russians to "become angrier." And ROC CEO Vladimir Sengleev accused the IOC of not paying Russian athletes.

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