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- Each qualified athlete is undergoing a vetting process by a three-member panel appointed by the IOC to make sure they meet certain eligibility criteria.
- 鈥淭he vetting process is ongoing,鈥� IOC spokesman Mark Adams said
LAUSANNE: The vetting process for Russian and Belarusian athletes who have qualified for the Paris Olympics has started but is far from complete, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday.
Following Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the IOC initially recommended a ban from international competitions of athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus, but has since allowed them to qualify for the Paris Olympics as neutrals.
Yet each qualified athlete is undergoing a vetting process by a three-member panel appointed by the IOC to make sure they meet certain eligibility criteria.
Not having actively supported the war in Ukraine and not having been contracted to any military or security agency are among those criteria.
鈥淭he vetting process is ongoing,鈥� IOC spokesman Mark Adams told a press conference. 鈥淚t is ongoing and will continue toward the Games.鈥�
鈥淚 cannot give you the exact deadline. The reason it is taking so long is we are doing it very, very thoroughly.鈥�
鈥淲e need to get the information from a lot of people. So, the process has to be done properly.鈥�
The IOC has said it expects to see about 36 Russian and 22 Belarusian athletes competing as neutrals in Paris.
The maximum number, depending on qualification standards and country quotas, and which is unlikely to be reached, would be 54 and 28 respectively.
鈥淵ou can imagine the amount of work required to go through a full and through process,鈥� said IOC sports director Kit McConnell.
鈥淭hat includes review of contracting situations, social media and so on.鈥�
鈥淚n terms of timelines we are conscious of confirming the places available. We are working with international federations and trying to do that as quickly as possible... but obviously in a very thorough way.鈥�
The Paris Olympics kick off on July 26.