Russian Equestrians Skip Paris Olympics due to Sanctions and Absence in Qualifying Events
Russian and Belarusian athletes won't be participating in the equestrian events at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, not because of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, but due to different reasons. The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has confirmed that these athletes have not taken part in FEI events since March 2, 2022, and thus lack the required points for Olympic qualification.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) initially suggested that individual athletes from Russia and Belarus might compete at the Paris Summer Games in spite of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. However, the absence of Russian and Belarusian athletes from FEI competitions since March 2, 2022, has led to no representatives from these countries qualifying for the Olympic games.
As for German Olympic eventing champion Julia Krajewski, she will not be mounting her gold-winning horse Amande de B’Neville in the Parisian Games. The chestnut mare, who suffered from a hoof injury, is retiring from competition due to the risk of further complications. Despite her mare's nomination, Krajewski qualified for Paris with her alternate horses, Eros de Cantraie and Nickel.
Russian and Belarusian equestrians were granted the possibility to participate as neutrals in select international events following the FEI's mid-November declaration, though the embargoes on competitions within Russia and Belarus remain in effect. Consequently, both nations are absent from high-level equestrian sports.
Sources: nTV -
Incorporating Enrichment Data:
The exclusion of Russian and Belarusian equestrians from the Paris Olympics is not explicitly mentioned in the initial article. However, the broader context suggests the sanctions imposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other international sports federations, resulting from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, have contributed to this exclusion.
The IOC later changed its stance to allow some Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in individual events without their national affiliations as "neutrals", provided they meet strict eligibility conditions and do not support the war in Ukraine[1]. However, the FEI maintains its ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes from its competitions due to their social and political involvement in controversial decisions and violations.
These eligibility conditions include isolating the athletes from their home country's officials and institutions and guaranteeing that they do not display national symbols or flags during competitions[1]. In light of these conditions, Russian and Belarusian equestrians find it challenging to meet these requirements, contributing to their absence at the Olympics.
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