Russia, Belarus Excluded from Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Tuesday (Mar. 19) that athletes from Russia and Belarus would not be allowed to participate in the traditional parade at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on July 26.

What makes the latest edition of the Games unique compared to past Olympiads is that athletes traveled on boats down the Seine River for several kilometers toward the Eiffel Tower instead of the normal parade inside the stadium.

Russian and Belarusian athletes approved by the IOC to compete at the Olympics as neutrals would only have the chance "to experience the event" by watching them from near the riverbanks, the Associated Press reported.

The IOC decision followed the International Paralympic Committee's decision to ban athletes from both nations from participating in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paralympics, which would also be held in the French capital shortly after the Olympics. This was due to the war in Ukraine.

The IOC laid out a two-step vetting procedure for individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to be granted neutral status. They were subjected to approval by the governing body of their individual sport and then by an IOC-appointed review panel.

Neutral athletes must not have publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine or be affiliated with military or state security agencies. It is unclear if membership in a Russian military sports club, such as CSKA, would be a reason for denying neutral status.

The committee added in its Tuesday announcement that about 36 neutral athletes with Russian passports and 22 with Belarusian ones were expected to qualify for the Paris Games, and a decision on whether or not to allow the neutral athletes to participate in the Aug. 11 closing ceremony would be taken "at a later stage."

Any medals won by neutral athletes will not be counted as a collective group in the overall medals table.

Other IOC Updates

To add to the diplomatic headaches Russia made for invading Ukraine, it was also reported that the IOC decided that the International Boxing Association (IBA), led by Kremlin-backed Umar Kremlev, would not be involved in organizing fights for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The committee also threatened to remove boxing from the LA Games altogether, which seemed to be a challenge to national federations worldwide to distance themselves from the IBA and Kremlev.

The IOC withdrew its recognition of the IBA last year. The body was not allowed to organize boxing matches at the previous Tokyo and the upcoming Paris Olympics. But Kremlev retorted at the IOC with confrontational comments and support for the rival Friendship Games scheduled in Russia in September.

"If we do not have a new boxing body to work in partnership with the IOC, we will not be in a position to have boxing at the program of (Los Angeles)," the committee said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the IOC eased a suspension imposed 18 months ago on the national Olympic body of Guatemala because of alleged government interference, citing "the interest of athletes" as a reason for provisionally lifting the ban.

This meant that Guatemala, unlike Russia and Belarus, could be fully represented with its flag, anthem, and team name in the Paris Games.

Last month, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo reportedly came to Geneva to talk with IOC officials about the matter.

Paris Mayor: Russian Athletes Should Rather Be Banned

The IOC also revealed on Tuesday details of the replacement flag in jade green that will be used for neutral athletes at medal ceremonies, where a specially written anthem without lyrics will be played.

In addition to the neutral athletes, the IOC approved two Russians who changed their national team eligibility to different countries.

Swimmer Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, a two-time European silver medalist in distance freestyle events, is eligible to represent France at the Olympics, while Greco-Roman wrestler Aleksandr Komarov can compete for Serbia after winning the European championship this year.

However, Reuters earlier revealed that Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo preferred that Russian athletes be totally banned from competing in the Paris Games rather than have them play as neutrals.

"I would prefer them not to come," she said. "We cannot act as if [Russia's invasion of Ukraine] did not exist. We could not act as if [Russian President Vladimir] Putin was not a dictator who today threatens the whole of Europe."

Regarding Israel and its current war against Hamas, Hidalgo stated that sanctioning Israel from the Games was "out of the question," because "because Israel is a democracy."

She additionally confirmed that, ahead of the Olympics, a ceremony would commemorate the victims of the attack on Israeli athletes and team members at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The IOC has not put any limit on the participation of Israeli athletes.

In a recent exclusive Reuters report, Hidalgo further confirmed that she would personally swim in the Seine ahead of the Olympics, with a target date for what could be considered a pool party set on June 23.

The gimmick was part of plans to clean the Seine and make it swimmable again, as it was during the 1900 Paris Olympics.

She also invited French President Emmanuel Macron to join her in personally swimming in the river.