As the world prepares for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Thursday that Russia and Belarus will not receive a formal invitation to the event. Despite this protocol move, some Russian and Belarusian athletes could still compete in the Summer Games without their national teams being invited.

The IOC stated that 203 eligible national Olympic committees (NOCs) will be sent their invitations to Paris on July 26th, but Russia and Belarus, plus the NOC of Guatemala, which is currently suspended, will not be included.

This decision is in line with the IOC’s urging of international sports bodies to block and isolate athletes, officials, and host cities from Russia and Belarus due to the ongoing war between the two countries and Ukraine, which began 17 months ago.

In an effort to let some Russians and Belarusians compete in qualifying events for Paris, the IOC has asked those sports bodies to evaluate the athletes as neutral individuals. However, the IOC has made it clear that it has the discretion to choose not to invite Russia and Belarus at all to the Olympic event.

This is the same for Guatemala, which has been suspended from the Olympic movement due to alleged government interference with the independence of the NOC. The 2024 Paris Olympics will be held from July 26th to August 11th, and it is expected that other countries, including Russia and Belarus, will be represented in some form or another – despite not being formally invited.

The IOC’s actions have made it clear that it is not willing to accept any kind of interference or disruption to the Olympic Games, and will not hesitate to take action in order to ensure the highest standards of respect and sportsmanship are upheld.