Seventeen "neutral" athletes failed testing ahead of Paris Olympics
After the Russian Federation's military invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to prohibit athletes representing Russia from participating in the Olympic Games. Since the Russian government received military support from Belarus, citizens of Belarus are also barred from representing their country at the Olympics.
The IOC has decided to allow athletes to compete under a "neutral" status, but with strict limitations. All athletes must undergo several waves of scrutiny. Athletes associated with the military or security forces of Russia or Belarus, or those who actively support the war, will not be allowed to compete. They cannot participate in team events and are prohibited from using their countries' symbols, including anthems, flags, and national colors. Additionally, all athletes are subject to mandatory doping tests.
Today, it was revealed that seventeen out of the twenty-five athletes who were registered for five sports failed to pass the first wave of checks and will not be allowed to compete. The seventeen vacant spots will be redistributed among other federations according to IOC rules. So far, the checks were conducted for athletes in sports such as road cycling, trampoline gymnastics, wrestling, taekwondo, and kettlebell lifting.
As a result, it has become clear that no "neutral" athletes will be able to compete in taekwondo. In road cycling, there are four "neutral" athletes, three in trampoline gymnastics, two in kettlebell lifting, and sixteen in wrestling.
Let us remind you that the Olympic Games in Paris start on July 26 and will last until August 11.
Liam Garcia
Dailysports's expert
