Olympic committee recommends Russian and Belarusian athletes be banned from international competitions

Olympic flag
(Image credit: Lars Baron/Getty Images)

The International Olympic Committee is recommending Russian and Belarusian athletes not be invited to any international competitions amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Olympic Committee's Executive Board made the recommendation on Monday, less than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine. The IOC said it doesn't want to "punish athletes for the decisions of their government if they are not actively participating in them" but is facing a dilemma that "cannot be solved" amid the war because "while athletes from Russia and Belarus would be able to continue to participate in sports events, many athletes from Ukraine are prevented from doing so because of the attack on their country."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.