FEI has made a major announcement regarding the participation status of Russia and Belarus in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. The matter was under close inspection and scrutiny and saw several rules being laid for the equestrian riders hailing from these nations. But, the latest instruction has put everything in the dustbin.

The top equestrian body has now banned all equestrian riders from Belarus and Russia from participating in the Paris Olympics. This also includes athletes belonging to these countries, who are neutral and don’t represent their nations. This is quite an unlikely development, especially since neutral athletes were allowed to participate earlier in December.

FEI drops new set of barriers for equestrian competitors of Russia and Belarus

The ruling by FEI comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had given its nod to neutral athletes previously. The equestrian riders, however, were not allowed to bear any flags, symbols, or emblems, and weren’t allowed any national anthems either. The decision, however, has now been overturned. 

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According to Reuters, no participation barriers existed for equestrian riders from Russia and Belarus, and only a restriction on representation was imposed. Moreover, while Russia is the primary invader of Ukraine, Belarus has also been sanctioned by FEI for assisting Russia. The military of Russia is actively using Belarus as a stage to launch new attacks and to regroup.

Riders from Russia and Belarus were already barred by FEI from participating in regular equestrian events. This included jockeys, horses, and even match officials. Now, the ban has also extended to the Olympics. While the decision has landed very suddenly, the authoritative body has laid out its list of reasons for banning the two countries.

Why were the riders banned despite adhering to new rules?

Apparently, Russia and Belarus weren’t allowed to compete in any equestrian events in 2022 by FEI. On the grounds of this, a statement from FEI said, “According to the Olympic Qualification Systems for Equestrian, individual qualification is secured through the FEI Olympic Rankings… from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023.”

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The top equestrian body further added, “Since Russian and Belarusian athletes have not competed in FEI Events since 2 March 2022, no representatives of these nations will take part in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.” Furthermore, the body also held that events held in Russia and Belarus will not be counted as official FEI events. 

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