Ukrainian athletes will be forbidden to compete with Russians or Belarusians
The prohibition applies to all Olympic, non-Olympic and Paralympic sports
The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine has issued a decree prohibiting Ukrainian athletes from participating in competitions if they also include athletes from Russia and Belarus.
Source. The document was published on April 12 on the ministry's website.
"To prohibit the official delegations of the national teams of Ukraine from participating in international sports competitions in which athletes from the Russian Federation and/or Belarus take part," the document says.
The ban applies to all Olympic, non-Olympic and Paralympic sports. The relevant authorities are instructed to ensure that official Ukrainian delegations are recalled from business trips if Russian or Belarusian athletes participate in competitions.
At the end of March, the Ukrainian government already announced that Ukrainian athletes would not participate in competitions where athletes from Russia and Belarus would be present.
As you know, the International Olympic Committee has issued recommendations on the admission of Russians and Belarusians to international competitions. The IOC document states that in order to be allowed to compete in a neutral status, an athlete must not have previously supported the military invasion of Ukraine. A similar requirement is imposed on members of service brigades. Posts on social media, statements in the media, participation in pro-war events, wearing or publishing Z-symbols may be considered support for the operation in Ukraine. The IOC recommends that federations establish an independent commission to determine whether an athlete or service member has supported military action.
Also, an athlete must not have any ties to the Russian or Belarusian army, law enforcement agencies, or security forces, and in the case of international competitions, no mention of Russia or Belarus is allowed.
The IOC document separately noted that the decision on the admission of Russians and Belarusians to the 2024 Olympics and the 2026 Winter Olympics would be made later.
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