Athletes from Russia and Belarus are allowed to return to international competitive climbing under certain conditions. As the World Climbing Association (IFSC) announced on Monday, its board had decided that climbers would return as neutral athletes from 2024. For this purpose, a process for reintegration will now be initiated.
“The decision to start the process of reintegrating athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports was not taken lightly and was not taken lightly,” said IFSC President Marco Scolaris. In addition to further support for Ukraine, the decision takes into account the “mission of sport” and tries “to find a balance between different positions and to create a system that can be implemented fairly”.
With the decision, the association is reacting to the proposal of the International Olympic Committee, which recommended at the end of March that Russian and Belarusian athletes be re-admitted to international competitions under strict conditions as neutral athletes.