Paris Olympics 2024: Ukraine sports authorities recommend athletes to refrain from direct contact with Russian counterparts

The Ukraine Sports Ministry and the Ukrainian Olympic Committee (UOC) have recommended its Paris Olympics-bound athletes maintain distance from their Russian and Belarusian counterparts.

On May 2, the two sports governing bodies of Ukraine published a set of recommendations, as reported by The Kyiv Independent, to avoid provocative situations and promote the safety of their athletes.

Though Russian and Belarusian athletes won't compete under the aegis of their respective national Olympic associations at the Summer Games, the Ukrainian authorities are wary of potential on-field altercations between the athletes of the war-ravaged nations.

The Sports Ministry and UOC have urged Ukraine's Olympic contingent to avoid direct contact with Russian athletes inside the Olympic Village as well as outside of it. The Ukrainian athletes also need to refrain from photographs or videos with their neighboring competitors and abstain from joint press conferences or interviews with these athletes.

"These recommendations relate to contacts with representatives of aggressor countries, as well as other persons who support the policies of these countries and may be used for propaganda purposes," a statement from Ukranian sports authorities read, as reported by The Kyiv Independent.

The members of Ukraine's Olympic delegation must report to the sports authorities any instances related to provocative actions attempted by the contingents of Russia and Belarus.

A total of 89 Ukraine athletes have secured qualification at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is scheduled from July 26 to August 11 in the French capital.

Ukraine-Russian athletes at Paris: What's the deal?

In December 2023, Russia and its ally Belarus were suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, the athletes from Russia and Belarus were permitted to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs).

This means the athletes of AINs cannot compete under the official flag of their country of origin, the national anthems won't be played if they finish on top of the podium, and they can't participate in team sports such as football, hockey, and basketball.

While questioning the rules of the IOC, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and the country's Sports Ministry to present their submission on whether Russian athletes should participate in the quadrennial event. This further looms uncertainty over Russian athletes' plans at the most prestigious event, which will kick off in less than three months.

This isn't the first time Russian athletes will compete without the national flag. More than 330 athletes participated in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 (held in 2021) under the flag of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) owing to doping violations.