Who are neutral athletes in Paris Olympics 2024?
IOC allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals at the Olympics under strict guidelines.
Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) are athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports competing at the 2024 Summer Olympics under the designation from the French term Athletes Individuels Neutres.
| Photo Credit: Olympics.com
FollowingRussia’s invasion of Ukraine, supported by Belarus, in February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended prohibiting Russian and Belarusian athletes from international events. In January 2023, the IOC announced that these athletes could compete as neutrals.
The Russian Olympic Committee was suspended in October 2023 after absorbing Ukrainian regional sports organisations. Despite debates and concerns, particularly from Ukrainian athletes, the IOC Executive Board decided it would be unfair to punish athletes based solely on their nationality, allowing some to compete in Paris under strict conditions.
What is AIN?
The IOC designated athletes from Russia or Belarus who met specific requirements as non-combatants and non-supporters of the Russian War with Ukraine as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), known in French as “Athlètes Individuel Neutres.” Those who signed IOC declarations affirming these conditions could compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The IOC established the Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP) to evaluate athletes’ eligibility. In lieu of national flags, INAs might potentially wear a distinctive flag. Despite representing themselves individually, AINs retain the opportunity to compete for medals. Notably, in team events, there will be no representation of Russian or Belarusian flags due to sanctions imposed on these countries.
Eligibility conditions
The eligibility conditions for Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 are stringent and based on specific criteria outlined by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). AINs, who hold Russian or Belarusian passports, must have qualified through the existing qualification systems of their respective International Federations (IFs) in sports. They are subject to the same rules and regulations as all other Olympic athletes, including stringent anti-doping measures.
Furthermore, no symbols or identifications of Russia or Belarus will be displayed at the Games, and no government officials from these countries will be invited or accredited.
Notable athletes who are AIN
There are 31 AINs from Belarus and Russia who qualified for the Paris Olympics and they are expected to participate across various sports. Notable names include Daniil Medvedev in tennis, Ilya Shymanovich in swimming, Zakhar Petrov in canoeing, Ivan Litvinovich in gymnastics and Yauheni Tsikhantsou in weightlifting
On July 6, 2024, the Russian Wrestling Federation announced that all its invited wrestlers, totalling 26 from both Russia and Belarus, unanimously decided to refuse participation in the Olympics. These wrestlers had qualified through various routes: six through the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade, 13 via the 2024 European Olympic Qualification Tournament in Baku, and seven from the 2024 World Qualification Tournament in Istanbul.
Has the ROC been banned before?
Since the steroid-tainted 2014 Sochi Games, Russia and its athletes have faced calls for bans at five consecutive Olympics. For the 2018 Winter Olympics, individual Russian athletes competed neutrally as ‘Olympic Athletes from Russia’ (OAR) with the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) suspended by the IOC.
The ROC was reinstated before the 2020 Games, but sanctions persisted. Russian athletes competed under the ROC flag — and not the Russian flag — in both the 2020 Summer and 2022 Winter Games. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, 335 ROC athletes won 71 medals, ranking behind only the United States and China in the medal tally.
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