The head of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Tony Estanguet said on Friday it was for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to decide whether Russian and Belarusian athletes can participate in the Games next year.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the governing body to ban them from the sporting extravaganza, stating that allowing Russia to compete at the Games was tantamount to showing that "terror is somehow acceptable".
Three-time Olympic champion and President of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee Estanguet told Reuters that he was "in favor of maintaining this symbol of universality for the Games" when asked about Russian and Belarusian participation.
Yet he said the decision rested with the Games' governing body.
"It's not in the charge of Paris 2024 to decide who is allowed to participate, it's about the IOC, it's about the IPC, it's about the international federations who will decide which delegations will be allowed to participate," Estanguet said.
Poland said on Thursday that it would be possible to build a coalition of some 40 countries, including the US, Britain and Canada, by February 10 supporting the call to block Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Olympics.
The Paris Olympics will be held from July 26-August 11 next year and the Paralympics from August 28-September 8.