Russia’s Olympic Committee has said Moscow would not be boycotting the 2024 Olympics in Paris and every Russian athlete was free to choose whether or not to take part under a neutral banner.
“Boycotting the Games leads to nowhere,” Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov said in a briefing Thursday.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus have faced sanctions from a multitude of sports since Russia launched its assault on Ukraine in February of 2022.
Despite the ongoing conflict, the International Olympic Committee has recommended allowing athletes from Russia and Moscow’s ally Belarus to compete as individual neutrals in international competitions.
“We live together in a free state. Every person can, if they so wish, take the path” of competing under a neutral banner, Pozdnyakov said.
“Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin) again said very clearly that this is everyone’s moral choice,” he added.
The head of the Russian Olympic Committee however said “the current recommendations are… prohibitive in nature and will not allow a large number of our athletes to take part in the Olympic Games.”
