IWF Press Release – Executive Board meeting
Following an online meeting of its Executive Board (EB) today, the IWF decided to endorse and apply the IOC’s “Recommendations for International Federations and international sports event organisers on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport in international competitions.”
These conditions relate to the eligibility criteria which athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport must adhere to in order to take part in IWF competitions, as well as the observance of their strict neutrality status during their participation in those events.
As part of this process, individual checks will be performed by independent agencies on all athletes and respective support personnel with Russian or Belarusian passports, who are aiming to take part in IWF competitions.
The IWF would like to highlight that this decision, also strongly supported by the IWF Athletes Commission, represents the best possible balance between, maintaining the IWF’s ongoing position of solidarity with Ukraine and the need to preserve as much as possible the opportunity for all individual neutral athletes to practice sport irrespective of their nationalities.
From the beginning of this profound crisis, which deeply affects the conduct of international sport, the IWF has been mindful to observe the recommendations issued by the International Olympic Committee.
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