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.
13 countries have been banned from participating in the Olympic Games in the recent history of the games between 1920 and 2024. Historically, nations have been banned for various reasons, including involvement in wars, racial segregation, political issues, and violations of International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules.
Countries banned include Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey, which were banned after World War I, and Germany and Japan after World War II. South Africa was banned from 1964 to 1992 due to apartheid, and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) was banned in 1972 over its racial policies. Afghanistan was banned in 2000 due to the Taliban’s stance on women, and Kuwait was suspended in 2015 due to government interference in its Olympic committee.
More recent bans have involved Russia and Belarus, which are excluded from the 2024 Paris Olympics due to their involvement in the Ukraine war. However, a small number of athletes from these countries will compete under the designation of “Individual Neutral Athletes” (AIN), meaning they cannot represent their nations officially through flags, anthems, or uniforms.
