The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) announced on Wednesday that Russian and Belarusian gymnasts will be allowed to compete as "individual neutral athletes" in events organised by the governing body, starting from January next year. However, they must not be associated with their respective countries' gymnastics federations, national federations, and Olympic committees.
This decision comes exactly a year after the FIG imposed a ban on athletes from both Russia and Belarus, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It is important to note that Belarus had been used as a staging area for this invasion, which Moscow refers to as a "special military operation."
