As many as 40 countries could boycott the Paris 2024 Olympics
The IOC has announced it will "explore the possibility" of allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris under a neutral flag, prompting announcements of a boycott of the IOC from several countries
As many as 40 countries could boycott the IOC 2024 Paris, which would make the entire event meaningless, Polish Minister of Sports and Tourism Kamil Bortnyczuk said. The BBC reports about this.
The statement came after Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia jointly rejected the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) plan to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete at the 2024 Olympics.
Ukraine has threatened to boycott the Paris Games if that happens. But the IOC countered that any boycott would only "punish the athletes". According to Bortnychuk, it would be possible to build a coalition of 40 countries, including the UK, the US and Canada, to support a blockade of the IOC's plans ahead of the February 10 meeting.
- If we boycott the Games, the coalition we will be a part of will be broad enough to make holding the Games pointless - the Polish minister believes.
The IOC announced it would "explore the possibility" of allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris under a neutral flag, adding that "no athlete should be prevented from competing solely because of their passport"…
