Czechs say they support Russia, Belarus athletes' exclusion from Paris games, but won't boycott

FILE PHOTO: Olympic Rings are pictured in front of The Olympic House, headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the opening of the executive board meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in Lausanne, Switzerland September 8, 2022. Laurent Gillieron/File Photo

The Czech Olympic Committee rejects the return of athletes from Russia and Belarus to international competitions as long as Russia's war against Ukraine continues, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on Friday.

However, the Czech Republic does not plan to boycott the Paris 2024 Olympic Games if athletes from the two countries were allowed to participate, Lipavsky told CTK news agency.

(Reporting by Robert Muller; Editing by Toby Chopra)