New World Sailing athlete restrictions

It has been nearly two years since Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, and during this time the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations have been assessing restrictions on the participation of athletes from the offending countries. Here is an update from World Sailing on January 24, 2024:

In line with the International Olympic Committee’s position on the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus as independent neutral athletes (AINs), the World Sailing Board met on January 19 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 on April 20-27, 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.

This updates the position made by the World Sailing Board on November 18, 2023.

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 February 22, 2024.

The process for applying for AIN 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.

Editor’s note: This Board decision reverses a promise made at the 2023 World Sailing Annual Meeting that the member nations would be included in making this decision, which the nations at that time were overwhelmingly against providing this allowance. So much for promises…

Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Program*:
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7 (41)
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6 (41)
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470 (19)
Men’s Skiff – 49er (20)
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX (20)
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class (20)
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class (20)
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL (24)
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL (24)
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17 (19)
* Quota per event in parenthesis but does not include Universality Places (2 men, 2 women)

Venue: Marseille, France
Dates: July 28-August 9

Details:
• Paris website: https://www.paris2024.org/en/the-olympic-games-paris-2024/
• World Sailing microsite: https://paris2024.sailing.org/