Russian Athletes Competing as Neutrals Allowed to Attend Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony
Despite not being able to represent their country at the Paris Olympics due to the ongoing war against Ukraine, Russian athletes competing as neutral individual athletes will be allowed to attend the closing ceremony on Sunday, officials announced.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board made the decision to allow Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) to participate in the closing ceremony, following Russia’s suspension from the games for its invasion of Ukraine just days after the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Belarus, which was also involved in the conflict, had its athletes competing as neutrals and will also be allowed to attend the closing ceremony.
A total of 32 athletes from Russia and Belarus combined competed in Paris, with notable achievements including Belarusians winning medals in trampoline and Russian women’s tennis players winning silver in women’s doubles.
However, these medals are not counted as part of the countries’ collective group in the overall medals table.
The Ukrainian Olympic team has also been significantly impacted by the war, with over 3,000 athletes and coaches participating in the conflict, resulting in nearly 500 deaths. This year’s Olympic Games in Paris saw only 140 athletes from Ukraine, the country’s smallest summer Olympic delegation in history.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing for over two years, with a display honoring the Ukrainian athletes killed since the invasion set up in London’s Parliament Square.
Despite the challenges and tragedies surrounding the games, athletes from all nations continue to showcase their talent and resilience on the Olympic stage.
