The World Cycling Union (UCI) has allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international events under strict conditions. As the association announced on Wednesday, the athletes are allowed to take part in international events such as the World Championships in Glasgow in August as “neutral individual athletes”.
The UCI stated that the athletes must not be associated in any way with Russia or Belarus, their national federations or their national Olympic committee. Every participant who wants to start as a “neutral individual athlete” has to go through a UCI procedure. At the same time, the association announced that it would continue to provide financial support for cycling in Ukraine.
In cycling, Russian and Belarusian athletes who are under contract with foreign teams are allowed to participate in races. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had left the decision on Russia’s return to competitions to the world federations. The regulations of the world associations in view of the ongoing war of aggression differ greatly.