New Delhi: Belarusian athletes Ivan Litvinovich and Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya would have never imagined that despite clinching a gold and silver medal respectively at the Paris Olympics 2024, they will miss out on all the commemorations and the official recognition for the massive accolades earned.
Both the trampoline gymnasts are among the 17 Belarusian athletes competing in Paris as individual neutral athletes because their country is banned owing to its public support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The 23-year-old Litvinovich retained his title in the men’s trampoline final, with China’s Wang Zisai and Yan Langyu taking silver and bronze.
Meanwhile, Bardzilouskaya took home a silver medal in women’s trampoline behind Britain’s Bryony Page who clinched the gold medal. The Belarusian athlete missed out on the gold medal just by a whisker while Sophiane Methot of Canada bagged the bronze.
Why will these medals not be included in the official table?
Since the athletes from Russia and ally Belarus are competing under a neutral banner after being banned from world sport following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) took care of their gradual return under a neutral banner and laid down strict conditions for these specified athletes.
They have no national flag, colours or anthem and their medals will not be displayed in table of the nations. They were even not allowed to take part in the opening ceremony as among the conditions that feature in the rule book, an athlete must not actively support the war and must not be contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies.
The IOC had initially banned these athletes from participating at the Olympic Games but later opened the door for these athletes from two countries saying that they will have to follow the stern conditions set for them, which included the non-appearance of their medals from the official table.
Ivan Litvinovich from Belarus became the first athlete competing as a neutral at the Paris Olympics to win gold while Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya bagged the silver in trampoline event. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
