And seven. After fencing, table tennis, taekwondo, wrestling, triathlon and modern pentathlon, a seventh summer Olympic sport has opened the door to a return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competition. The International Archery Federation (World Archery) announced late last week its decision to follow the IOC’s recommendations and conditionally reinstate archers from both countries. “The executive committee affirmed its support for the IOC’s recommendations and agreed to explore a timetable for the return of these athletes under strict eligibility conditions, allowing only those who can prove their neutrality through an independent review process to be reinstated,” the body said in a statement. With this new entry, the camp of international federations that support the IOC’s recommendations is now the largest. In the opposite camp, where the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes is maintained, badminton joined athletics, equestrianism and snowboarding last week.
