The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday issued recommendations for the gradual return to international competitions for Russian and Belarusian athletes, with president Thomas Bach saying the decision should be based on sporting grounds and not politics.
The IOC had sanctioned Russia and Belarus after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine but it is now eager to see athletes come back across all sports and have a chance to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Bach said the recommendations for events organizers and sports federations to follow include Russian and Belarusian athletes can only compete as neutrals, with no flag or anthem.
They cannot take part in team events and have to have a proven drug testing record