The International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) announced on Thursday that it had reinstated Russian and Belarusian athletes, who were banned last year as part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as neutrals.
“The UIPM supports the path of return of ‘independent neutral athletes’ with Russian and Belarusian passports to allow athletes of all nationalities to compete together in our sport,” the governing body said in a statement.
“We firmly believe that sport should be politically neutral, and now more than ever it should be an instrument of peace and a symbol of solidarity among athletes.”
It was noted that the UIPM will now develop the necessary independent processes to facilitate the return of these athletes, in consultation with the International Olympic Committee and the Association of Summer Olympic Sports International Federations (ASOIF).
At the end of March, the IOC announced the restoration of the possibility for Russians and Belarusians to compete in individual sports under a neutral flag, provided that they do not actively support the war in Ukraine and are not associated with the army and military clubs. A decision on their participation in the 2024 Olympics in Paris will be made at a later date.
The UIPM has followed in the footsteps of the federation, e.g. fencing, table tennis, judo, triathlon and taekwondo, which had already decided to bring Russian and Belarusian athletes back to competition. (PORRIDGE)
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