International Athletics President Sebastian Coe stated that the world is changing rapidly.
International athletics (WA) has repeatedly stated that there will be no Russian and Belarusian track and field athletes at the Paris Olympics. On Monday WA Chairman Sebastian Coe however, stated that “the world is changing” and mentioned a working group that is considering the situation.
This is reported by the news agency Reuters, among others.
Earlier in December, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated that Russian and Belarusian athletes can participate as neutral athletes in the Paris Games if they meet the required criteria. Coe stated at the time that they are not seen in athletics.
The shelving of Russians and Belarusians is due to Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, which is still ongoing.
News agency According to Reuters, Coe was no longer completely unequivocal on the matter, although he said “nothing has changed”.
“The most important thing is the independence of the international associations in these decisions. We made a decision that we believe is in the best interest of our sport,” Coe stated.
“Do I see anything changing in the near future? I do not know. The world changes every five minutes, so the situation can change. We have a working group that monitors the situation within the sport, and it advises and guides [päätöksenteko]council on the circumstances under which the shelving could be removed.”
WA established the task force on the same day that the IOC announced the acceptance of Russians and Belarusians to the Paris Olympics.
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