PARIS, France — During the Parade of Nations on Friday evening, some countries were missing from the Paris Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.
Russia, which previously identified as ROC for the Russian Olympic Committee, was banned by the International Olympic Committee's executive board from competing in the Olympic Games in October 2023 due to its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Instead, athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete as Individual Neutral Athletes or AINs. In French, the country code translates to Athlètes Individuels Neutres. This summer, there are 17 Belarusian and 15 Russian AINs competing in the 2024 Olympics.
For the Paris Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) established a quota for each sport of neutral athletes, along with "strict eligibility conditions," in December last year.
Athletes awarded neutral status must compete without their national identity of flag, anthem or country colors, according to the IOC.
Prior to the ban, Russia debuted at the Tokyo Olympics under ROC, or the Russian Olympic Committee. In 2016, Russia was forced to compete under different team names due to a doping scheme.
The Summer Olympic Games began Wednesday, July 24, and competitions run through Sunday, Aug. 11.
This story includes reporting by the Associated Press.
