Sebastian Coe says there will be no neutral athletes in athletics in Paris

WORLD Athletics president Sebastian Coe said on Friday there would be no Russians or Belarusians competing as neutrals in the athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“You may well see some neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus in Paris, it just won’t be in athletics,” Coe told a press conference at the World Athletics Council meeting in Monaco.

“The position that our sport took and has consistently taken is unchanged.

“It’s a settled position. It’s a position the (World Athletics) council took, it’s one endorsed by the executive board and on two separate global occasions it’s been endorsed almost unanimously by the athletics family.”

World Athletics originally excluded competitors, coaches and officials from Russia and Belarus, a supporter of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, from its events as early as March 2022, shortly after invasion.

The International Olympic Committee, however, opened the door earlier on Friday to Russian and Belarusian athletes being able to compete in Paris as neutrals, outside of team events and as long as they did not actively support the war in Ukraine.

BREAKING:

'No neutral athletes' in Paris 2024 in athletics: Sebastian Coe

PARIS, Dec 8, 2023 (AFP) -World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said Friday that there would be no Russians or Belarusians competing as neutrals in the athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. pic.twitter.com/JMMdHobwNu

— Rizwan Rehmat (@dohagames) December 8, 2023

Coe, however, said the IOC’s decision “points to the primacy of international federations” to make their own judgement. “It’s the pyramid,” he said.

“The primacy of the eligibility and the selection, therefore, of the athletes sits with the international federations.

“We have a fixed position. That position hasn't altered.

“I think it’s right that international federations should make the judgments that they feel are in the best interest of their sport. And that’s what our council has done.

“Ours is a settled decision. We have made the judgement that there will be no neutral athletes.”

The IOC’s decision drew an angry response from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who condemned it as “hateful”.

“The IOC essentially gave Russia the green light to weaponise the Olympics because the Kremlin will use every Russian and Belarusian athlete as a weapon in its propaganda warfare,” Kuleba said on X.

Out of 4,600 athletes globally who have qualified for the Games so far, eight are Russians and three hold Belarusian passports. More than 60 Ukrainians have qualified.

Acting Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidniy said his country’s participation at the July and August Paris Games would be decided after talks with the political and sports leadership.

AFP and Reuters