World Sailing statement on the participation of athletes with Russian and Belarussian passport holders as Independent Neutral Athletes

Further to the statement of 24 January 2024, the World Sailing Board has now formalised the conditions by which sailors with a Russian or Belarusian passport may compete in the Olympic Sailing Competition and releases its policy which outlines the conditions for such participation.

The World Sailing Policy for participation of Individual Neutral Athletes and Support Persons with a Russian or Belarusian Passport in the Olympic Sailing Competition for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 (the Neutrality Policy) is now available.

The Neutrality Policy incorporates the strict neutrality conditions outlined by the International Olympic Committee and in particular the individual must have:

1. No link with the Russian or Belarusian military or with any other national security agency since the 24 February 2022 when the war in Ukraine commenced
2. No communications promoting Russia or Belarus from 24 February 2022 onwards
3. No active support for the war in Ukraine since 24 February 2022.

Those sailors and their Support Persons who satisfy the criteria will be entered as, and compete as, Individual Neutral Athletes (“AINs”) and this means that they will represent themselves as individuals and will display no flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications whatsoever of Russia or Belarus.

Participation as an Individual Neutral Athlete is limited to:

• The Last Chance Regatta qualifying event, to be held as part of the Semaine Olympique Française, 20-27 April;
• For those athletes who have secured qualification, Olympic class competition between the Last Chance Regatta and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games;
• The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Regatta itself.

World Sailing continues to recommend that athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport should not be permitted to compete in events or classes other than those specified above, and after the Paris 2024 Olympics the temporary sanctions will resume for all.

For any sailor who wishes to compete as an Independent Neutral Athlete in the Last Chance Regatta, the application form must be completed and sent to World Sailing Director of Legal and Governance, Urvasi Naidoo, at legal@sailing.org.

These decisions were made by the World Sailing Board following consultation with the World Sailing Council as part of the federation’s continued commitment to the Olympic Charter and the Olympic Movement in accordance with the World Sailing Constitution and follows the official position of the IOC Executive Board.

World Sailing remains wholehearted in its support for the sailing community in Ukraine at what is an unimaginably difficult time.