Amélie Oudea-Castéra, the French Minister of Sports, made a bold statement during an interview on France TV regarding the participation of Russian athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She expressed that the rules set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be applied to Russian athletes, regardless of President Putin’s opinions.

In response to President Putin’s statement that the IOC risked “burying the Olympic movement” by imposing neutral participation for Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Paris Olympics, Oudea-Castéra defiantly expressed that the opinions of Putin were of no concern.

The authority of the IOC to decide which athletes can participate in the Olympics was emphasized by Oudea-Castéra, who stated the importance of upholding these rules and preventing the Russian government from using sports for its own benefit. She referred to Putin’s comments as provocative and nonsensical.

In December, the International Olympic Committee granted permission for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics under certain conditions, including participation under a neutral flag, exclusion from team events, no active support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine, and qualification requirements.

Russia has expressed dissatisfaction with the conditions imposed by the IOC, referring to them as humiliating and targeting their top athletes. Despite this, the IOC has confirmed that 11 athletes, including 8 from Russia and 3 from Belarus, currently meet the eligibility criteria, in contrast to around 60 athletes from Ukraine.

Regarding the possibility of an athlete displaying the Russian flag during an Olympic event and defying the ban, Oudea-Castéra reiterated that it would not be allowed for an athlete to do so on the field of play, emphasizing the enforcement of the rules.

The issue of Russian athlete participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics remains a contentious subject, with the French Minister of Sports taking a firm stance on the matter.