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[ad_1] LAUSANNE: Olympic chiefs on Friday gave the green light to the  participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes at next year's Paris Games as neutrals, outside of team events and as long as they did not actively support the war on Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee added that there were currently only eight athletes from Russia and three from Belarus who had qualified as neutral athletes. In comparison, more than 60 Ukrainian athletes have qualified for next year's Paris Olympics . The IOC's executive board "decided that Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) who have qualified through the existing qualification systems of the International Federations (IFs) on the field of play will be declared eligible to compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024". But only, it added, if they meet strict eligibility conditions. That includes the exclusion of "teams of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport". Also missing out will be &

[ad_1] MARSEILLE: The president of the 2024 Paris Olympics organising committee on Friday said athletes should not "suffer" from decisions they do not control amid an escalating row over allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete. The issue has divided opinion since Russia invaded Ukraine last February and used Belarusian territory to launch its offensive. That led to bans from several major sporting events. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) last week said it was examining a "pathway" to allow Russians to participate in Paris, probably as neutral athletes rather than under their national flag, a position backed by the United States on Thursday. But Kyiv has called for a complete ban on Russian participation, with a Ukrainian presidential aide accusing the IOC of being a "promoter of war". The head of the Russian Olympic Committee has demanded his athletes be able to compete without restrictions, but the IOC said some sanctions again