Sautin on the admission of Russians to the Olympic Games in neutral status: “This is a step forward, now we are waiting for a decision from the federation leadership”

Double Olympic diving champion Dmitri Sautin commenting on the statement CIO Regarding the admission of Russian athletes to the Paris Games, he told that now it is necessary to wait for the decision of the leadership of the International Swimming Federation (World Aquatics) and the coaching staff of the national team Russian.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Friday that it will allow Russian athletes who have successfully completed qualifying events to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics on an individual, neutral basis.

“To be honest, I’m very surprised.” A few hours ago we finished the presidium and here is the news… Of course, this is a step forward, now we are waiting for a decision from the federation leadership, from the head coach, a decision on neutral status. We still have to qualify – we have a chance for that at the World Championships in Doha.

— Do you want athletes like Ruslan Ternova to hold their first Olympic Games in Paris?

– Certainly. I’m sure the guys, understanding the complexity of the situation, kept hope, thought about it and waited for good news,” Sautin told .

At the end of March 2023, the IOC announced recommendations for the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions. These include individual admission, neutral status, banning participation in team sports, and banning participation of athletes associated with security forces or who have expressed support for the SVO. The same requirements now apply to the Olympic Games.

Previously, the IOC Executive Committee suspended the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). In Paris, Russian and Belarusian athletes can only compete in neutral individual status (AIN), without flags, anthems and other national symbols.

The Paris Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024.