IOC: Majority in France welcome Russian, Belarusian Olympians to Paris 2024 as neutral athletes

LAUSANNE, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that an online survey shows the majority of the French people are in support of the Olympians with a Russian or Belarusian passport to compete as neutral athletes at Paris 2024.

Conducted by research company Odoxa, the survey included responses from 1,005 French people aged 18 and over.

"The poll found that 72 percent of the French people are in support of the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport, with 44 percent suggesting they should be at the Games under a neutral banner, without the use of flags, anthem, colors or any kind of identification of their country," IOC wrote on its website on Monday.

According to IOC, Russian and Belarusian athletes have been competing in a number of international sports over the past weeks and months as neutral athletes, but no discussions or decisions around the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have been taken yet.

Meanwhile, as the 500-day countdown to the opening ceremony of Paris 2024 is around the corner, a total of 3.25 million tickets were sold in just the first three weeks of ticket sales, with the second phase starting on March 15.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, and the Paralympic Games will run from August 28 to September 8.