For a vast majority of athletes and teams in the Paris Olympics, their nationality will be clearly identified by their country's flag. National Olympic Committees (NOCs) organize each participating nation's athletes and Olympic sporting activities.
In 2024, though, two NOCs are banned from participating in the Olympics, which paved the way for a need for athletes whose passports are from those countries to need an alternate way in.
Russia and Belarus were both banned from participating in the 2024 Olympics due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
What Does AIN mean at the Olympics?
AIN is an initialization of a French term that translates to Individual Neutral Athletes. While the International Olympic Committee wanted to ban Russia and Belarus to take a stand against the war, it did not want to cause undo harm or exclusion to individual athletes who are otherwise approved in the eyes of the Olympic committee.
Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete as individuals with no national representation under AIN in 2024. They need to meet a strict set of qualifications (primarily, they are expected to state no active support of Russia's interests in Ukraine) to be allowed to participate.
The Olympics website lists 32 athletes competing under AIN.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as What Does AIN Mean in the 2024 Paris Olympics?.
