Exactly one week after the commencement of the Paris Olympics, an athlete from the neutral athletes’ collective secured a gold medal on Friday. Ivan Litvinovich, along with 32 athletes from Russia and Belarus, had their Olympic team identity obscured due to their countries’ military invasion of Ukraine. Litvinovich was not allowed to board a boat on the River Seine and when he stood on the podium, the Belarus anthem was replaced by a wordless tune commissioned by the International Olympic Committee.
These regulations apply to the 32 vetted athletes who accepted invitations to compete in France under the team-that’s-not-a-team. Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya won a silver medal in women’s trampoline under the acronym AIN (Individual Neutral Athlete), preventing their medals from being counted on the official team standings.
Russia and Belarus have not been banned from the Olympics but are excluded from team sports at the Paris Games due to their countries’ actions. Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, national teams and sports events cut ties with Russian teams and athletes, prompting the IOC to urge sports bodies to remove Russian and Belarusian teams and athletes from upcoming events for security and competition integrity.
The IOC’s policy for the Paris Olympics involves not allowing Russian or Belarusian teams but inviting selected athletes who have passed strict vetting to ensure they had no involvement in the war. This process has sparked controversy in Russia and Belarus while allowing the IOC to avoid a blanket ban that could have faced legal challenges and set precedents for future conflicts involving other nations.
Fifteen athletes from Russia and 17 from Belarus participated in the Paris Olympics as AIN representatives without national flags, anthems, or team uniforms in national colors. The AIN flag, jade or turquoise green with a white circular logo, symbolized the athletes’ stripped national identities. The anthem played at the medal ceremonies was a generic tune commissioned by the IOC.
