The White House on Thursday backed the proposal of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in sports competitions but always under a neutral flag, leaving out their national banners.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre urged all sports organizations, if they allow athletes from both nations to participate, to make sure that they «do not represent the Russian or Belarusian states,» according to The Hill news portal.
In this way, the Joe Biden Administration is positioning itself in favor of the IOC and, in a way, turning its back on Ukraine, which this week has intensified its criticism of the sports body, even accusing it of «promoting war» if it allows Russians and Belarusians to compete.
For its part, the International Olympic Committee had so far advocated shying away from confrontation, although this Thursday it confirmed in a round of questions and answers published on its website that the possible participation of Russians and Belarusians would only be, for the time being, in Asia and events in 2023.
The IOC has thus left out of the equation the Summer Olympics scheduled for 2024 in Paris. In fact, the organizers of the event already remarked on Wednesday that the criteria for participation and classification depended on the International Committee.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
