IOC excludes Russian and Belarusian athletes from Paris

Moscow, July 15 (EFE).- The Kremlin on Friday slammed as unfair the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not to invite Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

"We do not consider it fair. Our position is well known. We are categorically against the politicization of sport," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at his daily press briefing.

According to the Kremlin representative, "Russian athletes must have the right to participate in international competitions. We will continue to work with everyone, including the IOC, to defend the rights of our athletes," he added.

The International Olympic Committee announced Thursday that it will not include Russia and Belarus in the list of invitations it will send on July 26 to all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) around the world to participate in the Paris Games.

Although athletes from both countries, sanctioned following Russia's military intervention in Ukraine in February 2022, have already returned to most competitions under a neutral flag, the IOC qualified that it will make "in due course" a decision on their participation in the Games.

Russia's sports minister, Oleg Matytsin, denounced Thursday that the IOC's decision is an act of discrimination that violates the principles of Olympism.

"This is yet another discrimination, a violation of the principles of Olympism," he said before adding that the decision was made without taking into account the "qualifying competitions."