Inside the Games is reporting that World Rowing may allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The president of the Russian Rowing Federation, Alexey Svirin, announced yesterday via TASS, a state-sponsored news agency, “A week ago we received information from World Rowing that men’s and women’s singles and coxless doubles could compete in the European qualifying regatta.” He continued to explain that athletes will be required to undergo anti-doping and background checks, though it remains uncertain if athletes applying for neutral status will need to sign any declarations.
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Svirin seems optimistic about the chance for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Paris Olympics. He said, ”The likelihood of our athletes taking part in the Olympic qualifying regatta is increasing, but we do not yet have a full understanding of the issue. We are trying to get in touch with the international federation, we have offered to hold a video conference, but we have not yet received an answer.”
World Rowing did permit neutral athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport to compete in the 2023 World Rowing Championships, but has not yet publicly commented on the process for the Olympics. Last year, the International Olympic Committee announced guidelines for international federations on how to allow the reinstatement of athletes carrying Russian and Belarusian passports under strict conditions. Those guidelines include the recommendations that neutral athletes may not compete if they actively support the war in Ukraine or are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies.
It is worth noting that, according to New York Times reporting, a series of websites have popped up in recent weeks, appearing to be established, local American news sources. In reality, these sites are Russian creations pushing Kremlin propaganda. They represent “a technological leap in [Russia’s] efforts to find new platforms to dupe unsuspecting American readers.”
World Rowing did not respond to a request for comment from Rowing News.
