Paris Mayor joins calls to ban Russian athletes from Olympics amid IOC decision

07 February 2023 , 15:07

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The IOC will "explore a pathway" to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris (Image: David J Phillip/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

The Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo has joined calls for Russian athletes to be banned from next year's Olympics due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Paris is hosting next year's Games and Hidalgo's comments come after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced last month that they had decided to "explore a pathway" for athletes from both Russia and Belarus to compete under a neutral flag.

"No athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport," they said in a statement. However, Ukraine have threatened to boycott the Olympics if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete and Hidalgo supports their stance.

Speaking to French radio station France Info, Hidalgo said it is "not conceivable" for Russian athletes to compete at the Paris Games "while the bombs are still raining down on Ukraine".

"As long as Russia continues to wage war on Ukraine, I don't want there to be a Russian delegation at the Paris 24 Games - I would find that indecent," she said. "It is not conceivable [for Russian athletes] to march as if nothing had happened, to have a delegation come to Paris while the bombs are still raining down on Ukraine."

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However, France's president Emmanuel Macron agrees with the IOC, stating: "Sport should not be politicised. These major events are meant to allow athletes from all countries, sometimes including countries at war, to bring sport to life. Also, to find, through sport, ways of discussing where people can no longer talk to each other – I think that should be preserved."

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said it is "not conceivable" for Russian athletes to be allowed to compete at the Olympics (Chesnot/Getty Images)

UK Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan, meanwhile, described plans to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Games as "a world away from the reality of war". Speaking to the House of Commons, Donelan said: "At this critical time, the International Olympic Committee is now looking at a pathway for Russia and Belarus to be represented in Paris.

"I want to be clear that this position from the IOC is a world away from the reality of war being felt by the Ukrainian people – and IOC president Bach's own words less than a year ago where he strongly condemned Russia for breaking the Olympic Truce and urged it to 'give peace a chance'.

"We will strongly condemn any action taken that allows President Putin to legitimise his illegal war in Ukraine – a position the IOC previously shared. We, and many other countries, have been unequivocal on this throughout, and we will now work urgently across like-minded countries to ensure that solidarity continues on this issue."

Matthew Cooper