While Russia is one of the most accomplished countries in the history of Olympic sports, it appears the country will once again not be officially represented at the 2024 Olympics.
Russia was already banned from the 2020 Olympics, later held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While it was still represented by the Russian Olympic Committee, officials hoped the flag and country would be represented officials during the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Unfortunately for Russia and Belarus, it appears ongoing events will now be the cause of the two countries being barred from officially competing at the Olympics.
In an interview with The Guardian, Sir Craig Reedie addressed whether or not the two countries would be allowed to compete. Reedie, an important member serving on the International Olympic Committee and the former president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, cast doubt on the possibility.
“I’m afraid a decision is going to have to be taken on what happens to each of these two countries. And my guess is that the general feeling would be that they should not qualify. I think most people are struggling with how we could achieve some degree of representation. At the moment, there is no clear way to do it. Therefore, you maintain the status quo.”
Sir Craig Reedie, influential IOC figure, on Russia’s status for 2024 Olympics
All of this comes after the IOC encouraged international events to impose a ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus. Citing a desire to protect ‘the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants’, the IOC recommended all international sports federations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions.
- 2024 Olympics dates: July 26 through August 11
Beedie told The Guardian that the view is still shared by the IOC. While there are some exceptions for individual sports (cycling, judo and tennis), the ban will likely be in place for the 2024 Olympics.
Why is Russia banned from Olympics?
Russia was banned from the Olympics in Tokyo following an investigation into doping allegations. The WADA made a unanimous ruling to exclude Russia from the 2020 Olympics after conclusive evidence found the country used state-run doping to fuel its Olympic success In the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
The decision was upheld in December 2020, with the Russian flag and anthem barred from representation. However, athletes from the country were allowed to compete through the ROC. The current ban is scheduled to end on Dec. 16, 2022.
However, Russia still isn’t in the clear. The IOC’s intention to ban the country from the 2024 Olympics can be tied directly to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. With many international events barring Russian athletes from competing, they aren’t able to meet the qualifications for the Olympics in two years. As a result, we likely won’t see any Russian or Belarusian athletes competing in 2024. The ROC finished third in the medal count (71) at the Tokyo Olympics, earning the fifth-most gold medals (20).