Olympics 2024: IOC plan for Russian & Belarusian athletes criticised by UK Government

The IOC is moving successful plans to let Russian and Belarussian athletes to vie astatine the 2024 Games nether a neutral flag

The International Olympic Committee's program to let Russian and Belarusian athletes to vie astatine Paris 2024 has been condemned by Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan.

On Wednesday, the IOC said it would "explore a pathway" for Russian and Belarusian athletes' participation.

"We condemn immoderate enactment that allows President Putin to legitimise his amerciable warfare successful Ukraine," Donelan said.

"This presumption from the IOC is simply a satellite distant from the world of warfare being felt by the Ukrainian radical - and IOC president [Thomas] Bach's ain words little than a twelvemonth agone wherever helium powerfully condemned Russia for breaking the Olympic Truce and urged it to 'give bid a chance," she added.

"We, and galore different countries, person been unequivocal connected this throughout, and we volition present enactment urgently crossed like-minded countries to guarantee that solidarity continues connected this issue."

The IOC antecedently asked sporting federations to exclude athletes from the countries pursuing Russia's penetration of Ukraine past year. However, Wednesday's connection said "no jock should beryllium prevented from competing conscionable due to the fact that of their passport".

Last month, Bach spoke of not wishing to punish idiosyncratic athletes for the actions of their governments.

However, successful effect to the IOC statement, World Athletics stressed that athletes from those countries remained excluded from its events.

The athletics governing assemblage outlined that Russian athletes were suspended implicit the country's doping scandal and besides - alongside Belarusian athletes - for the penetration of Ukraine.

It added that a taskforce volition study successful March connected whether "the intensive enactment we person conducted successful cleaning up athletics successful Russia has present been sufficiently embraced for the doping-related suspension to beryllium lifted."

If that suspension is lifted, World Athletics said its assembly gathering would past see the ongoing suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials successful narration to the penetration of Ukraine.

Russian and Belarusian athletes will, though, beryllium capable to instrumentality portion successful this year's Asian Games, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has said, its connection adding: "All athletes, careless of their nationality oregon the passport they hold, should beryllium capable to vie successful sports competitions."

Meanwhile the International Paralympic Committee said it would "follow with interest" the IOC's decision.

"We privation to reiterate that we anticipation and commune that the struggle comes to an end, that nary much lives are taken, and that we tin tally sports and authorities separately," IPC president Andrew Parsons added.

Russia and Belarus were suspended by the IPC with contiguous effect past twelvemonth for their "inability to comply with rank obligations".