Olympic bosses from Russia have made plans to live and compete in France ahead of Paris 2024 - despite the country’s ban from the Games.
With two years remaining until the Olympics begin, Russia is reportedly making plans for its athletes in the French capital even though they are barred from qualification events which are set to begin. Russia are currently banned from international competition due to the military invasion of Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Russian Olympic Committee president Stanislav Pozdnyakov took to the Telegram messaging app to confirm the country was hoping to enter its athletes into various qualification events. The 48-year-old also declared Russia are making plans to house their athletes in the Olympic village in 2024.
Most sports set to be contested at the Paris Games have suspended athletes from both Russia and Belarus since Vladimir Putin declared war and invaded Ukraine. The sports issued the bans following a recommendation from the International Olympic Committee.
However, the IOC has not suspended the Russian Olympic Committee - the body which enters Russian athletes into the Games. He wrote: “In exactly two years, the Olympic Games start in Paris.
“Despite all of the circumstances, the Russian Olympic Committee is a full-fledged participant in the Olympic movement. We are continuing our systematic preparations for the Games and are also carrying out work to ensure qualifying opportunities and equal presence of our athletes in the Olympic village and at the venues, their participation in events during the Games.”
While qualifying for some Olympic sports have already begun, other events won’t start until next year. If sports federations decide to lift the ban on Russian athletes and allow them to compete in Olympic qualifiers, Ukrainian athletes could opt to boycott the Games.
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This was seen recently as the International Judo Federation allowed Russia to continue competing as neutral athletes without their flag or anthem. Ukraine responded by refusing to participate when Olympic judo qualifying began last month - particularly after 11 of 24 athletes on the Russian team at the event were revealed to be military members.
Russian athletes across the sporting landscape have been banned from competing, with FIFA and UEFA banning Russian teams and clubs from all competitions until further notice, ruling them out of the men's World Cup in Qatar later this year and the Women's European Championships in England this summer. Russian club Spartak Moscow have also been expelled from the Europa League, while UEFA has terminated its sponsorship deal with energy firm Gazprom.
Elsewhere, Formula 1 cancelled the Russian Grand Prix and driver Nikita Mazepin was sacked by Haas, while Russian tennis players were controversially banned from competing at Wimbledon. It meant the British Grand Slam lost its ranking points after the ATP intervened.
