Tuesday, March 19, 2024 AIN Eligibility Review Panel established by IOC EB – Paris Games-time protocol elements agreed on
The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has today agreed on a number of concrete implementation aspects for the participation of Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. AINs are athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport who have qualified through the existing qualification systems of the International Federations (IFs) on the field of play. The implementation follows the strict eligibility conditions which were put in place for AINs by the IOC EB on 8 December 2023.
Today, the IOC EB received an update that there are currently 12 AINs with a Russian passport and seven AINs with a Belarusian passport who have qualified for Paris 2024, out of the 6,000 quota places that have already been awarded for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The experts currently project that, under the most likely scenario, 36 AINs with a Russian passport and 22 AINs with a Belarusian passport will qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The maximum number, which is unlikely to be reached, would be 55 and 28 respectively. These numbers have to be compared to the 330 athletes from the Russian Olympic Committee who took part in Tokyo, and the 104 athletes from the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus. It is important to note that these estimates for Paris 2024 do not take into account the IOC eligibility review process, which will determine final participation.
Today, the IOC EB decided the following:
1. To establish the Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP) to evaluate the eligibility of each athlete with a Russian or Belarusian passport who obtains, or who could obtain, a qualification place for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, and that of their support personnel.
The Panel will be composed of three members:
Ms Nicole Hoevertsz, IOC Vice-President, Chair of the Panel Mr Pau Gasol, IOC Ethics Commission representative Mr Seung Min Ryu, IOC Athletes’ Commission representative
The work of the AINERP will be supported by Mrs Paquerette Girard Zappelli, IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, who will act as the Secretary of the AINERP.
2. To delegate to the AINERP and the IOC administration the authority to invite an Individual Neutral Athlete, and their support personnel, to participate in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Once the athletes’ invitations have been sent, the IOC will publish the list of the AINs and their support personnel who have been invited to participate in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
3. The AINERP to monitor the conduct of, and respect for the Principles of Participation by, all AINs and support personnel who are deemed eligible and who participate in the Olympic Games Paris 2024, including on their return after the Games.
4. The AINERP to bring any matter to the IOC Disciplinary Commission for any measures or sanctions to be applied should the conduct of any AIN or their support personnel be considered contrary to the Olympic Charter, the Paris 2024 Conditions of Participation or the Principles of Participation.
The IOC EB also discussed and decided on a number of protocol elements with regard to the participation of AINs in Paris:
This is the flag of the AINs and this is the anthem. The anthem has no lyrics and has been produced solely for this purpose. Medals won by the AINs will not be displayed in the NOC medal table.
In addition, the ceremonies were discussed by the IOC EB. The following principles were established:
AINs will not participate in the parade of delegations (teams) during the Opening Ceremony, since they are individual athletes. But an opportunity will be provided for them to experience the event. This is the same scenario that was used for the Independent Olympic Participants at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 (from former Yugoslavia). The decision regarding the participation of AINs in the Closing Ceremony will be taken at a later stage, taking into consideration that it is not teams that enter the Closing Ceremony, but all athletes jointly together. During the victory ceremonies, the AIN flag will be flown and the AIN anthem will be played.
As a reminder, the strict eligibility conditions for Individual Neutral Athletes at Paris 2024, established by the IOC EB in December, are the same conditions under which the athletes qualified, namely:
1. Qualified athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport will be entered as, and compete as, Individual Neutral Athletes (“AINs”).
2. Teams of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport will not be considered.
3. Athletes who actively support the war will not be eligible to be entered or to compete. Support personnel who actively support the war will not be entered.
4. Athletes who are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies will not be eligible to be entered or to compete. Support personnel who are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies will not be entered.
5. Any such Individual Neutral Athlete, like all the other participating athletes, will have to meet all anti-doping requirements applicable to them in the lead-up to and at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, and particularly those set out in the anti-doping rules of the IFs.
6. The sanctions against those responsible for the war, the Russian and Belarusian states and governments, remain in place for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. This means, in particular, that:
No flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications whatsoever of Russia or Belarus will be displayed at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in any official venue or any official function. No Russian or Belarusian government or state officials will be invited to or accredited for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Like all the other athletes, AINs will have to sign the Conditions of Participation applicable for Paris 2024. This contains the commitment to respect the Olympic Charter, including “the peace mission of the Olympic Movement”. Please find an excerpt from the new form here.
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