After the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which was affected by sanctions, Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from participating in various international competitions. However, recently, international calls for the lifting of the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes have become louder.
The Latvian Minister of Sports still insisted on February 2 local time that if athletes from Russia and Belarus are allowed to participate, the country does not rule out joining Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, and other countries in boycotting the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Poznyakov, chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee, reiterated on the same day that Russian athletes should be allowed to participate in international competitions under equal conditions with athletes from other countries, without any conditions or restrictions.