PARIS: Russian and Belarusian athletes, competing at the Paris Olympics as neutral individual athletes without their flag and emblem, will be allowed to take part in the Games closing ceremony on Sunday, the International Olympic Committee said on Saturday.

The athletes were not allowed to take part in the opening ceremony on July 26 when teams paraded on boats down the river Seine.

“The IOC Executive Board has decided that the Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) can participate at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024,” the Olympic body said in a statement.

“The decision of the IOC EB was taken on the basis that it is not teams that enter the Closing Ceremony, but all athletes together, as well as the overall conduct and respect of the principles of participation by AIN athletes during the Games. There will be no AIN flag.”

Teams from Russia and Belarus have been banned from taking part in the Games over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, with Belarus having been used as a staging ground.

Only certain athletes have been cleared by the International Olympic Committee to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) after undergoing a screening process designed to root out anyone who has publicly supported the war or had direct links with the military.

A total of 32 athletes from Russia and Belarus combined competed in Paris and only a handful of those are left in the French capital with many having returned following the end of their competitions.

Russian officials complained that the restrictions were unfair and discriminatory and many athletes cleared for Paris turned down offers to compete as neutrals.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2024