Ahead of next year's Olympic Games in Paris and a year and a half since the start of the war in Ukraine, sports officials are faced with making decisions about the participation of Russian athletes.
The first reaction of sports organizations was very strict since the war in Ukraine began, but most sports organizations now allow Russians to participate in competitions as neutrals without state markings.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) supports these decisions, although it has not made an official decision on the athletes from Russia and Belarus.
The IOC continues to delay making a decision on the qualifications it organizes, as is the case with boxing.
Most sports accepted the IOC's recommendation to allow the Russians to compete, but under the name - "individual neutral athletes" - but denying the participation to those athletes who have a contract with the military or have publicly supported war activities.
The IOC is also proposing to ban Russian competitors from participating in team sports such as football and basketball.
Ukraine does not want to allow any Russian athletes to compete in the Olympics.
Since last year, Ukrainian athletes and national teams have been boycotting competitions that allow Russian athletes to participate, following a decision made by the Ukrainian government in April.
Activists from Ukraine are looking day and night on the social networks of Russian athletes for signs of support for the war, in the hope that these posts will disqualify them from further competitions.
Summary of the situation of Russian and Ukrainian athletes in the main sports of the Olympic program:
ATHLETICS The World Athletics Federation banned the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes immediately after the start of the invasion in Ukraine. This decision will remain in force in the future, after the vote of the council of this sports body in March of this year.
President Sebastian Coe said the death and destruction in Ukraine only reinforces his determination to uphold the ban.
SWIMMING
The World Swimming Federation is gradually considering the decision to return Russia to its competitions.
The Federation is willing to support Russian and Belarusian competitors in sports under its jurisdiction - swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming. The working group in charge of these decisions will not be announced until the end of July, which is why there are no Russian athletes at the World Championships in Japan.
TENNIS
Tennis is the biggest exception when it comes to the participation of Russian athletes. Russian and Belarusian tennis players play in tournaments but without national symbols.
Tournaments like Wimbledon have even been punished for expelling Russian athletes.
Ukrainian competitors continued to participate in matches against their Russian counterparts, but generally refused to shake hands after the duel.
The champion of the Australian Open, Belarusian Arina Sabalenka, made statements about President Alexander Lukashenko at tournaments on several occasions and said that she does not support the war.
Russian and Belarusian players still cannot participate in national team competitions, such as Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.
The International Tennis Federation has not made a final decision on the Olympic Games, but there is still time given that the qualifications depend on the position in the world rankings in June next year.
GYMNASTICS
Gymnasts from Russia and Belarus will be able to participate in competitions from the beginning of 2024, but as "individual neutral athletes".
Because of that decision, he will not play at the World Cup, which will be held in Belgium in October.
Russian gymnasts are one of the loudest supporters of the war, the Associated Press agency stated. In the days since the invasion began, gymnast Ivan Kuliak wore a pro-war "Z" symbol while standing next to his Ukrainian counterpart on the podium, which earned him a one-year suspension. Other Russian gymnasts participated in a war rally, while Olympic gold medalist Nikita Nagorny leads military youth organizations.
BOX
The International Olympic Committee has full control over the sport, but that doesn't guarantee a quick decision. The IOC plans to hold its own qualifiers for the Games after years of disagreements with the International Boxing Association.
Qualifications were held at the European Championships in June, but the host country, Poland, refused to allow Russian competitors to participate. A plan was proposed for Russian athletes to participate in the Asian Championship qualifiers. If the Russians participate in the Games, their only chance to qualify will be in the final two tournaments at the start of 2024.
MARTIAL SPORTS
Among the sports with the most disagreements over punishments for Russian athletes are fencing, judo and taekwondo.
Ukraine has boycotted the world championships in judo and taekwondo after Russian athletes were allowed to compete, which will greatly affect their ability to qualify for the Olympics.
Several competitors from the neutral Russian judo delegation have military ranks.
The International Judo Federation, which last year opposed the imposition of penalties on Russian athletes, said that the Russian competitors were employed by state sports institutions.
Ukraine is also boycotting events such as the World Fencing Championships in Italy, which are key to qualifying for the Olympics.
The International Fencing Federation - whose former president Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov resigned last year - supports the return of Russian athletes to all levels of competition.
Organizers in several European countries canceled competitions in protest, disrupting the schedule of Olympic qualifications, and the European Championships lost their status as a qualifying competition after Poland banned Russian athletes from participating.
TEAM SPORTS
Russian teams in football, volleyball, basketball and handball are not expected at the Olympic Games in Paris. The IOC still forbids Russians from participating in team sports, and so far the federations of no team sport have ignored that decision.
In some cases, such as men's basketball and football, Russia certainly missed the chance to qualify. The IOC also recommends banning team events in individual sports, such as relays or team events in gymnastics.
OTHER SPORTS
Russia is boycotting the weightlifting competitions after their team refused to sign the terms of neutral status, including a pledge to "continue to refrain from providing any support for war activities".
Belarusian athletes have signed these conditions and will compete.
Sports such as archery delay the final decision. The World Archery Federation plans to support the return of Russian athletes, although they said in February that their return would be "highly unlikely" this year, potentially limiting Russian competitors to a handful of events before the Olympics begin.
The Russians will certainly be allowed to race in canoes, but any organizer of the qualifications will have veto power.
Rowing will allow competition in twos, but not the larger Russian teams in fours and eights.
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