The list is growing. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) announced on Wednesday July 19: Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to regain their places in international competitions. The executive committee of the body explained that it had decided “ to authorize, under strict conditions, the participation of athletes and support personnel of Russian and Belarusian sports nationality in events sanctioned by the FIG and included in the FIG calendar as neutral individual athletes, but without no involvement or association with the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus, their respective national federations or their national Olympic committees”. The FIG has therefore chosen in turn to follow the recommendation of the IOC Executive Board to the letter. The reintegration of gymnasts from the two countries in conflict with Ukraine may concern Olympic qualifying events, at least for individual disciplines. But it in no way portends a certain presence of potential qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Games. The FIG specifies: “ The decision on whether Russian and Belarusian athletes will be eligible to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is the responsibility of the IOC. » Comment from Japanese Morinari Watanabe, president of the FIG: “ By allowing Russian and Belarusian gymnasts to compete as independent neutral athletes, the FIG ensures that the rights of all athletes are respected and sends the message to the world that gymnastics seeks peace"
