Russian and Belarusian athletes will not compete in the Asian Games, which are held this month in China, after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) concluded this Sunday that the project “is not feasible.”
“The plan for the participation of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports in the Asian Games was explored and discussed at the Olympic Summit in December 2022, but it is not feasible for technical reasons,” an IOC spokesman announced.
Both countries have been excluded from most sports competitions since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but individual athletes have been allowed to participate in some disciplines.
The IOC had mentioned a few months ago the possibility of exploring that Russian and Belarusian athletes participate in the Paris 2024 Games as neutral athletes.
At a meeting in Bangkok in July, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) general assembly voted to allow a maximum of 500 athletes from both countries at the Asian Games, but the IOC has ultimately backed down.
The Asian Games, postponed a year due to the pandemic, begin in Hangzhou on September 23 and end on October 8.
