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Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympic Committee, has today defended plans to get Russian and Belarusian athletes back into competitions as neutrals.

He claimed their participation "works" despite the war in Ukraine.

The IOC sanctioned Russia and Belarus after the 2022 invasion, but is now eager to see athletes have a chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

It has set out a pathway for these competitors to earn Olympic slots through Asian qualifying and has left it up to international federations to decide on organisation.

But Ukraine has since threatened to boycott the Paris 2024 Games should these athletes try to compete there, even as neutrals.

"Participation of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports in international competitions works," Mr Bach said today.

"We see this almost every day in a number of sports, most prominently in tennis but also in cycling, in some table tennis competitions.

"We see it in ice hockey, handball, we see it in football and in other leagues in the United States but also in Europe and we also see it in other continents," he said.

"In none of these competition security incidents have been happening."

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Ukraine war - latest updates: Russia says it has intercepted US ... - Sky News