LAUSANNE: A total of 14 Russian and 11 Belarusian athletes were included on Saturday by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on an initial list of “Individual Neutral Athletes” (AINs) eligible to compete in the Paris Games.
The athletes had to qualify for the Games and pass a double check, first by the international sports federations and then by the IOC, to prove they did not actively support the war in Ukraine or have any links with their countries’ armies.
The athletes named on Saturday compete in four disciplines.
Sixteen are wrestlers. The IOC has also approved two weightlifters, three trampoline gymnasts and four road cyclists, including Aleksandr Vlasov, who was fourth in the 2021 Giro.
“Our cyclists passed the ‘test’,” Vyacheslav Ekimov, the President of the Russian Cycling Federation told Russia’s state-run TASS news agency.
“The IOC allowed us to the Olympics, although I did not expect a different development. As for Vlasov, despite all his past statements, I think he will participate in the Olympics. And with great pleasure.” Ekimov said.
The President of the Russian Trampolining Federation, Nikolai Makarov told TASS he was not entirely happy.
“The fact that the IOC has decided to admit Angela Bladtseva to the Olympics is very good news,” he said.
“But I don’t understand why another one of our contenders for the only ticket — Yana Lebedeva — is not on the list. I hope that her name will be on the next list.”
Saturday’s IOC statement also listed taekwondo, but that section included no names.
“It is absolutely true — none of our taekwondists will perform at the Olympic Games in Paris,” Vadim Ivanov, Russia’s taekwondo head coach told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.
After initially banning the two countries’ athletes from world sport following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the IOC adjusted their regulations to allow their participation, under a neutral banner, subject to strict conditions and excluding team events.
Last March, the IOC said it was expecting 36 Russians and 22 Belarussians at the Paris Games “according to the most probable scenario,” and a “maximum” of 55 and 28 respectively.
That would be far fewer than the 330 Russians and 104 Belarusians that took part in the last Games in Tokyo in 2021.
The IOC will update its list as the final qualifying results come in.
There will be no track and field athletes. World Athletics has banned all Russians and Belarusians.
Other sports have reinstated them so late that their presence is uncertain.
On Friday, Yuliya Efimova, who has three Olympic breaststroke medals, became the first Russian swimmer to be granted neutral status for the Games although she has not yet swum a qualifying time. She also said she did not yet have a visa to travel to France.
While Moscow has finally decided not to boycott the Paris Games, some athletes may opt to. Russia’s gymnasts have said they will refuse to take part.
The neutral athletes will neither take part in the opening ceremony on the Seine nor appear in the official medal table.
In March, the IOC awarded them a dedicated flag, stamped with the letters “AIN” on an apple-green background, as well as a short composition without words, which will serve as their anthem if they win an Olympic title.
At the same time, the IOC set up the Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP) to help decide which athletes to invite.
The expert panel “has been able to benefit from new information from various sources, in particular official lists of athletes affiliated to sports clubs of the armed and security forces, published on official websites in Russia and Belarus,” said the IOC.
IOC issues first list of Russians and Belarusians eligible for Olympics
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IOC issues first list of Russians and Belarusians eligible for Olympics
- The athletes had to qualify for the Games and pass a double check, first by the international sports federations and then by the IOC
- The athletes named on Saturday compete in four disciplines
Saudi midfielder Mohammed Kanno to miss World Cup qualifier against China through injury
- The Green Falcons, who sit in 4th place in their group on 6 points with 4 games to play, face China on Thursday and Japan on Tuesday
- ‘We expect to perform well … Qualification is in our hands and we want to win,’ says national team coach Herve Renard
RIYADH: Midfielder Mohammed Kanno will miss the Saudi national team’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against China on Thursday but could be available for the match against Japan on Tuesday, coach Herve Renard revealed on Wednesday.
“Kanno will not be ready for tomorrow’s match, just as he wasn’t for the Australia game, but we hope he can travel with us to Japan,” the Frenchman said. Kanno picked up an injury playing for his club, Al-Hilal, against Al-Taawoun on Saturday.
The Saudis are one of four teams on six points in Group C after six games of the final stage of the Asian qualifiers. With four games left to play, Australia are in second place on seven points and Japan top the group on 16 points. The top two teams from each of the three groups will qualify for the World Cup, while the teams in third and fourth place progress to the play-off phase.
“We expect to perform well,” Renard said of the upcoming double-header. “There is no pressure on us after the Gulf Cup, and we are still fortunate to have a direct qualification opportunity after our previous matches. Qualification is in our hands and we want to win.”
He attributed recent improved performances by China to their Croatian coach, Branko Ivankovic, adding: “Matches against him were tough when he coached Oman, and tomorrow’s match will be no different. China is a well-organized team that excels in attacking transitions and we must be ready for that.”
Renard thanked the Saudi fans for ensuring Thursday’s clash at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh is a sell-out, and highlighted the important role they play in supporting the players.
“We can’t do it alone,” he said. “We need the fans, they are the foundation of our qualification. We need everyone and we must show our desire and determination to win.”
Ivankovic acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s superiority ahead of the clash but expressed confidence in his players’ ability to get a result.
“Saudi Arabia is one of Asia’s top teams,” he said. “They played against Argentina and defeated them in the World Cup. They have the advantage but we believe in our chances and capabilities and want to complete our mission with a positive result.
“We have prepared well for Thursday’s match. We have 15 new players, bringing fresh energy and experience. We know (the Saudis) well — they are an excellent team.”
Recalling his previous encounter with Renard, Ivankovic added: “We faced him when I was with Oman. He is not just a good coach but an outstanding one.”
He also had high praise for the injured Kanno, describing him as “the best Saudi midfielder,” but added: “It doesn’t matter whether he plays or not. We prepare for our opponent with their full squad. That’s our approach.”
IOC names outgoing boss Bach as honorary president for life
- The proposal was passed by acclamation with a teary-eyed Bach, whose successor will be elected on Thursday, earning a standing ovation from the IOC members
- His tenure as president was at times rocky, with the Olympics hit by the 2014 Sochi Games’ doping scandal, which led to Russian athletes participating as neutrals in several editions of the Games
- Bach, 71, will step down from his post on June 23 and will also vacate his IOC membership post
PYLOS, Greece: Outgoing International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach was named honorary president for life on Wednesday, with the German due to step down in June after 12 years in charge.
The proposal was passed by acclamation with a teary-eyed Bach, whose successor will be elected on Thursday, earning a standing ovation from the IOC members at their session in southern Greece.
Bach, a German lawyer and former Olympic fencing champion, took over in 2013 and immediately introduced wide-ranging reforms both in relation to the Olympic Games and the IOC itself, including reducing the size and cost of the Games to make them more attractive to future host cities.
His tenure as president was at times rocky, with the Olympics hit by the 2014 Sochi Games’ Russian state-backed doping scandal, which led to Russian athletes participating as neutrals in several editions of the Games.
He also had to deal with political tensions on the Korean Peninsula prior to the 2018 winter Games in South Korea’s Pyeongchang, and was also forced to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Beijing 2022 winter Games were also held without fans due to the pandemic.
The Paris 2024 Games had the participation of Russian athletes once more as neutrals following the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Bach, 71, will step down from his post on June 23 and will also vacate his IOC membership post.
There are seven candidates to succeed Bach, with IOC vice president Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, Zimbabwe’s sports minister Kirsty Coventry and World Athletics President Sebastian Coe of Britain seen as the frontrunners.
International cycling chief David Lappartient, International Gymnastics Federation head Morinari Watanabe, Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan and Olympic newcomer and multimillionaire Johan Eliasch, who heads the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, complete the lineup.
Argentina and Brazil search for Messi and Neymar replacements ahead of World Cup qualifiers
- The top six teams will secure direct berths to the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada
- Also this week, Paraguay will host Chile, Peru will take on Bolivia, and Ecuador host Venezuela
SAO PAULO: There will be no Lionel Messi for Argentina and no Neymar for Brazil in two decisive rounds of South American World Cup qualifying.
Ahead of games against tough rivals, coaches Lionel Scaloni and Dorival Junior are still wondering who will replace their stars.
Defending champion Argentina, the leader with 25 points after 12 matches, could secure their place in the 2026 World Cup within days. They play at second-place Uruguay on Friday.
Argentina then host Brazil in Buenos Aires next Tuesday. The last time the two South American powerhouses clashed, Argentina won 1-0 at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
On Thursday, fifth-place Brazil host fourth-place Colombia. Also this week, Paraguay will host Chile, Peru will take on Bolivia, and Ecuador host Venezuela.
The top six teams will secure direct berths to the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada. The seventh-place team among the 10 of the region will still have a chance to qualify through an international playoff.
Brazil vs. Colombia
Brazil could end this month securing its spot in the next World Cup or lagging in seventh place. That means pressure on coach Júnior.
Neymar’s absence led Junior to try out Savinho up front alongside Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, with Raphinha behind them in Tuesday’s training session. Brazil’s coach hinted that would be the most likely lineup against Colombia on Thursday at the Mane Garrincha Stadium in Brasilia.
But then local media reported another formation was tested Wednesday, with Joao Pedro as a target man up front and Vinicius Junior as his pairing. Raphinha and Rodrygo trained right behind them to close gaps in the midfield.
If neither of those settings work, coach Junior will still be able to move Raphinha up front on the wing or try out teenager Estevao, one of Brazil’s biggest prospects, in the same position. Then Rodrygo could play center forward, as in other occasions.
“I am trying to keep players in the position they play at the clubs since the start, and I make changes according what rivals bring,” Junior said Wednesday during a press conference in which he did not reveal his starting lineup.
Several Brazil players will miss the match against Argentina if they are booked against Colombia: defenders Danilo and Gabriel Magalhães; midfielders Andre, Bruno Guimarees; and strikers Matheus Cunha, Raphinha and Rodrygo.
Brazil drew against Venezuela and Uruguay in its two latest World Cup qualifying matches, with coach Júnior arguing he was “starting a recovery process” by testing several players in different positions.
Uruguay vs. Argentina
With Messi out due to a muscle injury, Scaloni hoped he could field a powerful duo up front in Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martínez at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo. But on Wednesday he also lost Martínez — the Inter Milan striker — to a muscle fatigue problem.
A win would make Argentina the first South American team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Alvarez has scored 23 goals for Atletico Madrid this season. But instead of an aggressive pairing with Martínez, he is more likely to have midfielder Thiago Almada in Messi’s role and be all alone up front.
Messi injured his left thigh adductor muscle in Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory over Atlanta United on Sunday in the MLS.
Argentine players might want to be cautious in Montevideo to avoid risking suspension for the match against Brazil. Defender Nicolás Otamendi and midfielders Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernández, Rodrigo de Paul, and Alexis Mac Allister could miss the clash if they get a yellow against Uruguay.
Argentina will play a friendly on Saturday against a local U-20 team at Huracan Stadium in Buenos Aires in a fundraiser for the reconstruction of a hospital damaged by a storm that killed 16 people in the region of Bahía Blanca two weeks ago.
“We needed to do something within the international window,” Scaloni said.
Proud Draper sees Indian Wells triumph as fruit of his labors
- Draper’s Indian Wells victory was viewed as a surprise in many quarters but the player himself said he had felt an important win was increasingly within his reach
- Draper said his first tournament victory on the tour, in Stuttgart last June, had been a turning point in his confidence that he could reach the elite in the sport
MIAMI GARDENS: For Britain’s Jack Draper, his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells on Sunday was a moment of pride and joy but not, he suggests, a huge surprise.
The 23-year-old enjoyed an outstanding two weeks in the Californian desert, enjoying an upset win over Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, after beating top Americans Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz.
In the final he defeated Denmark’s Holger Rune in straight sets — a triumph which moved him into the top 10 for the first time in his career.
Asked what his main emotion had been in the aftermath of that triumph, Draper said: “I think big pride ... to be able to celebrate that with my team ... in tennis, there’s lots of ups and downs, there’s lots of adversity, especially for me over the years.
“I feel like I’ve been on a big journey with my team and the guys around me, and they’ve been incredibly supportive of myself,” Draper said Wednesday as he prepared for this week’s Miami Open in Florida.
Draper’s Indian Wells victory was viewed as a surprise in many quarters but the player himself said he had felt an important win was increasingly within his reach.
“I feel like, I’ve been on a trajectory where I’ve been really consistent for a while, putting in great work, trying to really learn and grow, not only as a player, but also as a person off the court. And I feel like it’s amazing,” he said.
“That moment felt amazing, not because of the win and all that, just because, you know, the accumulation of all the hours spent, all the hard work, all the figuring out the problems and the things we need to improve.
“And to be able to celebrate that with the close people around me, my family, you know, that feels amazing,” he said.
Draper said his first tournament victory on the tour, in Stuttgart last June, had been a turning point in his confidence that he could reach the elite in the sport.
“I was a lot calmer because of that. I feel like that was something I needed to get over as a hurdle in my mind as a young player. When you come onto the tour, it’s difficult. You’re kind of in the changing room with all the players you’ve watched on the TV and you admire.
“I’m sure everyone feels that, you feel like you don’t belong and then you’re out on court and you’re playing. But I think the more and more experiences I’ve got of playing big matches and winning against big opponents and all this sort of stuff.
“And obviously, semifinal of US Open and winning Vienna, all the accumulation of things, I think over time is helping me to believe more and more that I’m capable of, you know ... I don’t know what I am capable of, I don’t like to think too far ahead,” he said.
With the distance of a few days, Draper is able to put Sunday’s victory into context but he didn’t try to hide the satisfaction it had given him and the extra boost to his self-belief.
“It definitely gives me more confidence and more inner belief than I had before.
“But at the same time, I’ve been sort of building toward this, I’ve been improving all the time at the back end of last year. I was on a really good run of form.
“I feel great about everything and I don’t feel crazily different. I just keep up the hard work, keep on doing what I’m doing, and hopefully it keeps on coming together for me,” he said.
Draper will start off his Miami Open bid on Saturday against either Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut or Czech Jakub Mensik.
How the sale of Newcastle United to Saudi Arabia’s PIF transformed the club’s fortunes
- NUFC was purchased by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021, marking the start of a major turnaround for the club
- Under team captain Eddie Howe, the English football side have avoided relegation and quickly become top Premier League contenders
DUBAI: For the majority of football fans, Jan. 22, 2021, is unlikely to be a date that sticks in their long-term memory. But for supporters of one club in particular, it is one that is laden with significance.
With just 15 minutes left of Newcastle United’s match against Leeds United at Elland Road, the score was 0-0. A miserable Premier League season looked set to continue for Eddie Howe’s team.
Then up stepped Jonjo Shelvey to give Newcastle a priceless 1-0 victory. It is no exaggeration to say that the win instantly changed the complexion of the team’s season and with it the club’s trajectory.
Going into their 21st match of the league season, Newcastle United had found themselves with just one previous win, leaving them stuck in the relegation zone.
FASTFACTS
• Newcastle is a one-club city.
• Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup win was their first trophy in 55 years.
• Newcastle have won Four League titles and six FA Cups.
After the win at Leeds, however, Newcastle would embark on a run that would see them win five of their next six matches, and nine of the next 13. The team cruised to safety and ended the season in a comfortable 11th place.
Howe had conjured a miracle that barely seemed feasible just a few months earlier when he was tasked with turning around the club’s fortunes following their sale by long-time owner Mike Ashley.
On Sunday, as Howe, his team, and chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan celebrated with delirious fans at Wembley after Newcastle defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final, those memories from just three years earlier must have seemed like a distant bad dream.
Newcastle had won their first major trophy in 55 years, justifying the faith that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) had shown in the club and the city when it finally completed a takeover on Oct. 7, 2021.
PIF, alongside Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners and Reuben Brothers, had been pursuing the club for more than a year. Once the deal with Ashley had been completed, they set about reawakening a sleeping giant — one of England’s and Europe’s biggest clubs.
Newcastle United supporters had had few reasons to celebrate since the mid-1990s when manager Kevin Keegan’s “Entertainers” team had come close to winning the Premier League, only to lose out to Alex Ferguson’s unstoppable Manchester United.
Now, backed by PIF and its chairman Al-Rumayyan in the boardroom, and with Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi initially their public face, this was a club reborn.
The mission was to not only build a successful football team, but to also rejuvenate the local area surrounding St James’ Park in this one-club city.
First up was to hire Howe, a promising young English coach who had performed footballing miracles with Bournemouth FC by taking them from League One to the Premier League.
While at the time some supporters had expected a more established European coach, PIF’s decision to give Howe the reins on Nov. 8, 2021, has proved to be inspired.
Next was to assemble and oversee a squad capable of Premier League survival. If and when that was achieved, they would need to go on to challenge the country’s elite clubs at the other end of the table.
Without splurging on superstar names, Howe’s signings were astute. January of 2022 saw the arrival of Kieran Trippier for Atletico Madrid, Chris Wood from Burnley, Matt Targett from Aston Villa, and former Newcastle youth player Dan Burn from Brighton.
But, without a doubt, the jewel in the crown was Bruno Guimaraes from Olympique Lyon. Fans instantly fell in love with their gifted Brazilian midfielder.
Another masterful trick managed by Howe was to rejuvenate players like Joelinton Cassio Apolinario de Lira, Sean Longstaff, and Miguel Almiron, who had stagnated under the reign of previous coach Steve Bruce and owner Ashley.
After relegation was easily avoided with a stunning second half to the 2021-22 Premier League season, the squad was strengthened in the summer transfer window with the signings of goalkeeper Nick Pope from Burney, highly rated Dutch defender Sven Botman from Lille, and the superlative Swedish international Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad.
Newcastle now had a formidable squad that was ready to challenge for trophies and European places. And that is exactly what they did in the 2022-23 season.
At the start of 2023, Howe led the club to its first major cup final since 1998. But, on Feb. 28, the still-developing team found the task of defeating Manchester United a step too far, losing 2-0 at Wembley Stadium.
Despite the cup final defeat, Howe’s first full season as manager ended on a major high as the club finished in fourth place in the Premier League to secure a spot in the following season’s UEFA Champions League.
The following season would prove to be one of consolidation. Despite the signings of Anthony Gordon from Everton, Sandro Tonali from AC Milan, and Harvey Barnes from Leicester City, the team found it hard to balance the challenges of the Premier League and European competition.
A stunning 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at St James’ Park in October, could not stop Newcastle from exiting the Champions League in the group stages. Their final position of seventh in the Premier League would have disappointed fans hoping for another invite to Europe’s top table.
But that was only a prelude to what will now go down as one of the greatest seasons in Newcastle’s history. There were moments of uncertainty for fans as the team’s Premier League form fluctuated throughout the current campaign. But glory was just around the corner.
A superb two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final win, which saw a 2-0 victory at the Emirates followed by another at St James Park, gave Newcastle another chance to claim its first trophy in generations. This time it would be against Premier League leaders and England’s most successful club, Liverpool.
Sunday, March 16 would prove a golden day for Newcastle. Their fans, who had taken over central London in the two days leading up to the final, were as remarkable in the stands as their heroes were on the pitch.
Goals by the local hero Burn and talisman Guimaraes either side of half time left supporters in dreamland. Despite a late Liverpool goal, Newcastle were not denied a well deserved 2-1 win.
Cue Bruno’s tears, Al-Rumayyan’s joyous celebrations and pure delirium on the Wembley terraces.
It was a victory 55 years in the making, but one achieved almost in a blink of an eye since the dark days of 2021.
