ＩＯＣ、ロシアとベラルーシ２５選手のパリ五輪出場を承認

【ローザンヌＡＦＰ＝時事】国際オリンピック委員会（ＩＯＣ）は１５日、「個人の中立選手（ＡＩＮ）」の立場でパリ五輪出場を認めるロシアとベラルーシの選手の第１陣として、２５選手を承認した。（写真は、スイス・ローザンヌにある国際オリンピック委員会の本部）
　ロシアの選手１４人、ベラルーシの選手１１人は予選を突破し、さらに各国際スポーツ連盟とＩＯＣによる二重チェックを通過して、ウクライナへの軍事侵攻を積極的に支持していないこと、軍と無関係の立場だという点が証明された。
　承認された選手は４競技にまたがっており、レスリング選手１６人、重量挙げ選手２人、体操のトランポリン選手３人、２０２１年のジロ・デ・イタリアで総合４位に入ったアレクサンドル・ブラソフら、自転車ロードレース選手４人となっている。
　ウクライナのマトベイ・ビドニー青年スポーツ相は、「積極的なプロパガンディスト」が含まれなかったことを歓迎し、「ＩＯＣは、われわれがウクライナのオリンピック委員会と、各スポーツ連盟が共同でＩＯＣに提出した証拠に耳を傾けた」とコメント。「証拠の発見と検証に協力してくれた調査報道記者と関連政府機関の同僚に心から感謝する」と述べた。
　ＩＯＣは厳しい条件を満たした個人選手のみ、中立の立場でのパリ五輪出場を認めると発表しており、リストは最終予選の結果が判明し次第、更新されていく。
　ワールドアスレティックス（世界陸連）はロシアとベラルーシの全選手の出場を禁止しているため、陸上選手は含まれない。他競技も両国の選手の復帰がぎりぎりになったため、出場するかは不透明となっている。
　ロシアテニス連盟は、アンドレイ・ルブレフとカレン・ハチャノフ、リュドミラ・サムソノワが「五輪に出場しない」と話している。競泳では五輪で三つのメダルを獲得している平泳ぎのユリア・エフィモワが、ロシアの競泳選手として初めて中立の立場を認められたが、まだ参加標準記録を突破していない。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/06/17-16:49）

A total of 14 Russian and 11 Belarusian athletes were included on Saturday by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on an initial list of Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) eligible to compete in the Paris Games.
The athletes had to qualify for the Games and pass a double check, first by their international sports federations and then by the IOC, to prove they did not actively support the war in Ukraine or have any links with their countries' armies.
The athletes named on Saturday compete in four disciplines.
Sixteen are wrestlers. The IOC has also approved two weightlifters, three trampoline gymnasts and four road cyclists, including Aleksandr Vlasov, who was fourth in the 2021 Giro d'Italia.
Our cyclists passed the 'test', Vyacheslav Ekimov, the President of the Russian Cycling Federation told Russia's state-run TASS news agency.
The IOC allowed us to the Olympics, although I did not expect a different development. As for Vlasov, despite all his past statements, I think he will participate in the Olympics. And with great pleasure, Ekimov said.
The President of the Russian Trampolining Federation, Nikolai Makarov told TASS he was not entirely happy.
The fact that the IOC has decided to admit Angela Bladtseva to the Olympics is very good news, he said.
But I don't understand why another one of our contenders for the only ticket - Yana Lebedeva - is not on the list. I hope that her name will be on the next list.
Saturday's IOC statement also listed taekwondo, but that section included no names.
It is absolutely true - none of our taekwondists will perform at the Olympic Games in Paris, Vadim Ivanov, Russia's taekwondo head coach told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.
Ukraine sports minister Matvey Bidnyi welcomed the absence of outspoken propagandists from the Games.
The IOC listened to our evidence, which we, together with the Ukraine national Olympic committee and sports federations, submitted to the IOC.
We are very grateful for the help of investigative journalists and colleagues from the relevant government agencies in finding and verifying the evidence, Bidnyi added.
After initially banning the two countries' athletes from world sport following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the IOC adjusted their regulations to allow their participation, under a neutral banner, subject to strict conditions and excluding team events.
Last March, the IOC said it was expecting 36 Russians and 22 Belarussians at the Paris Games according to the most probable scenario, and a maximum of 55 and 28 respectively.
That would be far fewer than the 330 Russians and 104 Belarusians that took part in the last Games in Tokyo in 2021.
The IOC will update its list as the final qualifying results come in.
There will be no track and field athletes. World Athletics has banned all Russians and Belarusians.
Other sports have reinstated them so late that their presence is uncertain.
Meanwhile, Russian tennis federation chief Shamil Tarpishev told TASS that Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov and Liudmila Samsonova will not play at the Olympics.
- Opening ceremony -
On Friday, Yuliya Efimova, who has three Olympic breaststroke medals, became the first Russian swimmer to be granted neutral status for the Games although she has not yet swum a qualifying time. She also said she did not yet have a visa to travel to France.
While Moscow has finally decided not to boycott the Paris Games, some athletes may opt to. Russia's gymnasts have said they will refuse to take part.
The neutral athletes will neither take part in the opening ceremony on the Seine nor appear in the official medal table.
In March, the IOC awarded them a dedicated flag, stamped with the letters AIN on an apple-green background, as well as a short composition without words, which will serve as their anthem if they win an Olympic title.
At the same time, the IOC set up the Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP) to help decide which athletes to invite.
The expert panel has been able to benefit from new information from various sources, in particular official lists of athletes affiliated to sports clubs of the armed and security forces, published on official websites in Russia and Belarus, said the IOC.