PARIS. – Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo on Wednesday said she hoped Russian athletes would be banned from taking part in the Paris Olympics and their opening ceremony.
Israeli athletes, however, should be fully welcome, she told Reuters in an interview, as organizers of the July 26-Aug. 11 Games prepare to deal with issues arising from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
The International Olympic Committee, which decides on such matters, is due to discuss at a next session the question of the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the opening ceremony.
For now, Russian, and Belarusian athletes cannot take part under their countries’ flag but are allowed to participate as neutrals – without flags or anthems being played.
“I prefer that they don’t come,” Hidalgo said in an interview with Reuters.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said last week that Russian and Belarusian athletes joining the Paralympics would not be part of their opening ceremony.
