The British government has urged Olympic sponsors to support a ban on Russian and Belarussian athletes participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer made the request in a letter to the IOC’s 13 global partners, urging them to join the United Kingdom in pressuring the IOC to address concerns raised by 36 nations, including France and the United States, who issued a joint statement expressing support for the ban.
Ukraine has also threatened to boycott the Olympic Games in Paris if the IOC permits Russian athletes to compete. Frazer wrote, “Having hosted the Games in London in 2012, we know what an incredible event it is to be a part of, and we understand how crucial sponsors are to the successful delivery of the Games.” She added, “We are aware that sport and politics in Russia and Belarus are intricately intertwined, and we are determined to prevent the regimes in these countries from using sport for propaganda purposes.”
The International Olympic Committee initially barred Russian and Belarussian athletes from the March 2022 Winter Paralympics, although they were permitted to compete under a neutral flag. The IOC then urged federations to bar them from international sporting events. Since then, the organisation has proposed allowing them to compete as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Games, although no decisions have been made; however, Frazer has asked sponsors to press the IOC on this issue prior to the implementation of such plans.
In her letter, she stated, “As long as our concerns and the significant lack of clarity and concrete detail on a workable ‘neutrality’ model are not addressed, we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be permitted to return to competition. Noting the IOC’s position that no final decisions have been made, we have strongly urged the IOC to address the concerns raised by all nations and reconsider its proposal accordingly.
The British government has requested that Olympic sponsors support their call for a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The IOC’s initial decision was made to protect athletes, and the culture secretary has now asked the IOC’s 13 global partners to join them in pressuring the organisation to address concerns raised by 36 countries that issued a joint statement declaring their support for a continued ban. Ukraine has also threatened to boycott the Games if Russian athletes are permitted to compete, making it imperative for sponsors to evaluate their position on this issue.
