At the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Russian athletes competed under a neutral flag as the "Olympic Athletes from Russia" (OAR) delegation after the country was implicated in a state-sponsored doping program at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
But there won't be a ROC or OAR delegation, or the Russian Federation, at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Russian athletes will compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) in Paris after Russia and Belarus were banned and the ROC was suspended for Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
A flag bearer holds the flag of the Russian Olympic Committee at Asaka Shooting Range during the Tokyo Games. The 335 athletes from Russia are not allowed to compete as Russia in the games due to a four-year ban from all international sporting competitions by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Mandi Wright, USA TODAY Sports
What is the ROC and AINs? What does it stand for? We got you covered.
What does ROC stand for at Olympics?
ROC, which stands for the Russian Olympic Committee, is the National Olympic Committee representing Russia. Stanislav Pozdnyakov, a four-time Olympic Gold medal fencer from Russia, has served as the President of the ROC since 2018 after he was recommended by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The ROC flag features the Olympic flames in Russia’s national colors – white, blue and red – over the iconic Olympic Rings. The ROC national anthem, used in Tokyo in 2021 and Being in 2022, is a segment of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's "Piano Concerto No. 1."
The International Olympic Committee suspended the ROC in October for breaching the Olympic Charter. Following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine , the ROC transferred four Ukraine regions (Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia) into the ROC, violating "the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine." As a result, the ROC cannot operate as a NOC or receive funding from the Olympic movement.
Athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport can participate in individual sports as Individual Neutral Athletes , or AINs, an acronym for the French translation, Athlètes Individuels Neutres, if they meet "strict eligibility conditions." Competitors cannot support the war or have been contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military in order to be cleared to compete as AINs. They must also meet all anti-doping requirements.
July 9: Daniil Medvedev hits a forehand against Jannik Sinner. Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports
Can AINs use Russian flag at Olympics?
No. Russia's flag and national anthem cannot be used in Paris. "No flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications whatsoever of Russia or Belarus will be displayed at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in any official venue or any official function," the IOC stated . AINs will compete under a teal flag inscribed with its acronym and an anthem that features no lyrics.
Can AINs attend the opening ceremony?
Teams of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport are not allowed to compete at the 2024 Olympics. Therefore, AINs are not allowed to participate in the opening ceremony's parade of nations along the Seine River "since they are individual athletes," the IOC stated in March . "This is the same scenario that was used for the Independent Olympic Participants at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 (from former Yugoslavia)," the IOC added.
AINs will have the opportunity to experience the opening ceremony and a decision about their participation in the closing ceremony will be made at a later date.
Jul 13, 2024; Paris, France; A detail view of the Olympic rings hung on the Eiffel Tower ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Jon Durr/USA TODAY Sports
A total of 36 individual Russian athletes have been invited to participate at the 2024 Olympics in Paris across seven sports, including cycling, gymnastics, wrestling, tennis, canoe, judo and swimming, but only 15 accepted the invitation to compete as an AINs. In comparison, the Russian delegation sent 335 athletes to Tokyo in 2021.
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