31 March 2023 , 11:59
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International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has blasted the "deplorable" widespread criticism of Russia returning to international sport.
Bach has delivered a blunt public response to backlash after the IOC issued a controversial recommendation this week that would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag.
The IOC has recommended to event organisers and sporting federations that individual athletes from Russia and Belarus should be permitted to return to competition as neutrals - but a decision has not yet been made on the 2024 Paris Olympics.
And the United Kingdom and Olympic hosts France are among 36 countries in support of sporting sanctions for Russia and its ally Belarus during the ongoing war in Ukraine. The British government has also pleaded with Olympic sponsors to support a ban for Paris 2024.
But Bach has now claimed that the exclusion of Russia and Belarus from the Olympics "would be the end of world sport as we know it today."
Klitschko warns Olympics chief will be 'accomplice to war' over Russia decision
"It is deplorable to see that some governments do not want to respect the majority within the Olympic movement and all stakeholders, nor the autonomy of sport," he said.
"It is deplorable that these governments do not address the question of double standards. We have not seen a single comment on their attitude on the participation of athletes from countries of the other 70 wars and armed conflict around the world."
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russian athletes should have 'no place' at the Olympics (Global Images Ukraine via Getty)The IOC have clarified that athletes who actively support the invasion of Ukraine or are contracted to the Russian military cannot compete under any circumstances.
But Ukraine has threatened to completely boycott next summer's Games if the blanket ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes is not upheld - with the IOC still "exploring a pathway" which would allow them to compete.
The governing body, meanwhile, have said they will make their decision on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in Paris at an "appropriate time."