“The UIPM supports the path of return of ‘independent neutral athletes’ with Russian and Belarusian passports to allow athletes of all nationalities to compete in our sports in accordance with the Olympic Charter and above all the principle of non-discrimination,” the UIPM said in a statement.
The modern pentathlon has decided to allow Russian and Belarusian representatives to return despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, which saw it exclude them from its competitions last year. This follows the International Olympic Committee’s recommendation that world sport accept representatives of both countries as individual neutral athletes, as long as they have no connection to the military or security forces.
“The UIPM will now develop the necessary independent review procedures to facilitate the return of these athletes,” the federation’s representatives said. They want to consult the procedure with the IOC and the Association of International Summer Olympic Sports Federations (ASOIF).
For example, table tennis, fencing, judo and taekwondo have already planned the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes after the invitation of the IOC. Badminton, on the other hand, opposed it today and will not allow representatives of both countries to participate in its competitions until the end of the war in Ukraine.
