Olympics-Vetting of Russian, Belarusian athletes for Paris Games ongoing-IOC

FILE PHOTO: Mark Adams Director of Communications at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) attends a news conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, December 5, 2019. Picture taken December 5, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - The vetting process for Russian and Belarusian athletes who have qualified for the Paris Olympics has started but is far from complete, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the IOC initially recommended a ban from international competitions of athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus, but has since allowed them to qualify for the Paris Olympics as neutrals.