Olympics chief Thomas Bach faces “the toughest decision of his presidency” as he weighs whether Russian and Belarus athletes should be allowed to compete in the 2024 Games, a senior former IOC executive has told AFP.

The signs coming from bodies such as the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) in the past fortnight suggest athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus should be permitted to try and qualify for the Games in Paris.

The International Olympic Committee has agreed to “explore” a proposal allowing athletes from those countries to compete in international events in Asia.

Olympic authorities had banned them following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and those federations who have allowed athletes from those countries to take part have insisted that they do not display national emblems.

The argument given was that the events’ integrity would be damaged by the athletes competing.

Read the full story on sportsdesk.com.mt

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