Individual Neutral Athletes at the 2024 Summer Olympics — sporting event delegation
AIN marked the first time Russian and Belarusian athletes competed under a neutral designation with unique restrictions barring team events, flag, anthem, and the Parade of Nations.
Key Facts
- Athletes approved
- 32 individual Russian and Belarusian athletes
- IOC country code
- AIN (athlètes individuels neutres)
- Flag design
- Teal flag with circular AIN emblem
- Team events permitted
- No — individual competition only
- Parade of Nations
- Excluded from opening ceremony march
- Medal table ranking
- Not awarded official ranking
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which continued through the duration of the 2024 Games, led the IOC to ban both Russia and Belarus from competing under their national designations, preventing their athletes from representing their countries in the usual manner.
The IOC created the Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) designation, allowing 32 pre-screened and approved Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics under a teal flag and a bespoke instrumental anthem, after vetting by each sport's international federation and a special IOC panel.
AIN athletes competed solely as individuals, barred from team events, the Parade of Nations, and official medal table rankings, establishing a more restrictive neutral-athlete framework than had been used in previous Olympic Games.