The National Olympic Committee of Belarus has welcomed the May 7 decision of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee regarding Belarusian athletes and expressed hope that it will serve as a guideline for international sports federations.
The NOC said the development “is of great importance for the entire Belarusian sporting community and is a long-awaited event for every athlete” in the country.
“On behalf of the entire Belarusian sporting community, we express our gratitude to IOC President Kirsty Coventry for her balanced and principled position,” the committee said.
“We express hope for the swift restoration of the rights of all athletes who have faced restrictions for political reasons. We expect that the decision of the International Olympic Committee will become a decisive guideline for international sports federations, which will promptly lift all restrictions on Belarusian athletes across all sports,” the statement said.
Earlier on Thursday, it was reported that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) no longer recommends imposing restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes, including teams, in competitions under the auspices of international federations and organisers of international sporting events. The decision was taken by the IOC Executive Board.