In line with the International Olympic Committee’s position on the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus as independent neutral athletes, the World Sailing Board met on 19 January and agreed that for athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport:
- Those who meet the necessary eligibility criteria will be permitted to participate as AINs in competition for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, starting with the Last Chance Regatta qualifying event, to be held as part of the Semaine Olympique Francaise, 20 – 27 April, and finishing with the Olympic regatta in Marseille.
- This permission will also include – for those athletes who have secured qualification – Olympic class competition between the Last Chance Regatta and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
- World Sailing continues to recommend that athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport should not be permitted to compete in events or classes other than those specified above.
The recommendation that athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport should not be permitted to participate in events outside of Olympic competition will be reviewed by the World Sailing Board in their three-monthly cycle which addresses the suspension of Russian and Belarusian officials. This process has been in place since March 2022 and the next review is due to take place on or before 22 February 2024.
The statement from World Sailing went on to say: “The process for applying for AINs status will be announced in due course. The eligibility criteria will include all the IOC conditions of neutral participation. These decisions were made by the World Sailing Board following consultation with the World Sailing Council and as part of the federation’s continued commitment to the Olympic Charter and the Olympic Movement.
“World Sailing remains wholehearted in its support for the sailing community in Ukraine at what is an unimaginably difficult time.”
