Is Russia banned from the Olympic Games? Here’s what AIN means

PARIS, France — Through the Parade of Nations on Friday night, some international locations have been lacking from the Paris Olympic Video games Opening Ceremony.

Russia, which beforehand recognized as ROC for the Russian Olympic Committee, was banned by the Worldwide Olympic Committee’s government board from competing within the Olympic Video games in October 2023 resulting from its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

As a substitute, athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete as Particular person Impartial Athletes or AINs. In French, the nation code interprets to Athlètes Individuels Neutres. This summer season, there are 17 Belarusian and 15 Russian AINs competing within the 2024 Olympics. 

For the Paris Olympic Video games, the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) established a quota for every sport of impartial athletes, together with “strict eligibility situations,” in December final yr. 

Athletes awarded impartial standing should compete with out their nationwide identification of flag, anthem or nation colours, in line with the IOC.

Previous to the ban, Russia debuted on the Tokyo Olympics underneath ROC, or the Russian Olympic Committee. In 2016, Russia was compelled to compete underneath totally different workforce names resulting from a doping scheme.

The Summer season Olympic Video games started Wednesday, July 24, and competitions run by means of Sunday, Aug. 11. 

This story contains reporting by the Related Press.