And five. After fencing, table tennis, taekwondo and wrestling, a fifth international federation of an Olympic sport has decided to follow the IOC’s recommendation by reinstating Russian and Belarusian athletes in the competitions. World Triathlon announced on Thursday 13 April that its executive committee had decided in favour of lifting the suspension of athletes from the two countries at war with Ukraine. The body chaired by Spain’s Marisol Casado, who is also an IOC member, explained in a statement that it was working with the IOC and ASOIF (the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations) to “develop the independent review process necessary for any athlete or official from the two countries to participate in an event.” Under the IOC Executive Board’s recommendation, Russian and Belarusian triathletes will only be admitted as neutral athletes. They must not have expressed support for the conflict in Ukraine, and they must not be directly linked to the military or any national security body. World Triathlon is cautious about when the Russians and Belarusians will actually be able to return to the international circuit. The World Triathlon Series is scheduled to begin this season next month in Yokohama, Japan.
