Russian Paralympians to compete under neutral flag at Paris 2024
International Paralympic Committee eases ban on individual athletes adopted after Russian invasion of Ukraine
Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under a neutral flag at the Paris Paralympics in 2024 after officials voted against an outright ban.
A majority of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on Friday allowed Russian athletes to compete "in an individual and neutral capacity" without national flags, colours or emblems.
The decision was made hours after the IPC, in its General Assembly in Manama, Bahrain, voted against a full ban on Russian participation.
Andrew Parsons, president of the IPC, said the organisation were "very firm believers that sport and politics should not mix."
The IPC did though decide to partially suspend the Russian National Paralympic Committee for two years due to "breaches of its constitutional membership obligations."
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the IPC banned athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus from competing, while also suspending both countries' Paralympic committees.