Olympics-IOC says Ukrainian athletes only ones to suffer from government decision

FILE PHOTO: A view shows the Olympic Rings in front of the Olympic House, headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), during the executive board meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in Lausanne, Switzerland, March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/

BERLIN (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee criticized Ukraine's decision not to allow Ukrainian athletes to take part in qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympics if they have to compete against Russians, saying on Saturday this will hurt only Ukrainian sport and its athletes.

Ukrainian government minister Oleh Nemchinov announced the policy on Friday after the IOC issued recommendations on Tuesday for the gradual return to international competition for Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals.