Paris mayor vows to keep Russian, Belarusian athletes out of Olympics

FILE PHOTO: Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo attends the annual Bastille Day military parade, in Paris, France, July 14, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

PARIS (Reuters) - The Mayor of Paris said it was unthinkable that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to take part in the 2024 Summer Olympics under their national flags, adding she would do everything she could to prevent it.

Ukraine has spearheaded a call to ban athletes from Russia and its close ally Belarus from the Paris Games after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in January said it was open to including them as neutrals.