Ukrainian athletes have been directed by their national Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sports to avoid interactions with Russian and Belarusian participants at the upcoming Paris Olympics, scheduled for July 26 to August 11, 2024. Following the International Olympic Committee’s decision to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete as neutrals—without their national flags, emblems, or anthems—due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian officials are concerned about potential provocations.

Ukrainian directives include avoiding social media interactions, maintaining distance during medal ceremonies, and refraining from joint press engagements with athletes from the aforementioned countries, termed “aggressor states” by Ukraine. Additionally, Ukrainian athletes are urged to report any breaches of neutrality by Russian and Belarusian competitors.

In another development related to the 2024 Paris Olympics, Sir Steve Redgrave, a five-time Olympic rowing champion, has expressed concerns over World Athletics’ decision to introduce prize money for athletics gold medallists. He highlighted that the $50,000 prize could exacerbate disparities between different sports. Redgrave underscored the financial reliance of sports like rowing on Olympic funding and suggested that the distribution of prize money might better serve a broader range of sports, maintaining equity and supporting the historical significance and sustainability of sports less lucrative than athletics.