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Authorised Neutral Athletes

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Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) and Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) are a capacity under which athletes can compete at international sporting competitions without representing their nations, as is standard convention under the Olympic Charter.[1] As of August 2022, only Russian and Belarusian athletes of some sports have competed or are competing within the ANA capacity.

The flag/logo of ANA for IAAF events (2017–2020).
The flag/logo of ANA for World Athletics events (since 2021).
For European Athletics events, ANA competes with the organisational flag.

Originally introduced in athletics in 2017 following the Russian doping scandal which first came to light in December 2014,[2][3][4] the term was introduced to other sports following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Quoting a breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian government in which Belarus was complicit, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended suspending all teams, officials and competitors from Russia and Belarus from being involved in sport due to security concerns, while allowing individuals to compete in a neutral capacity.[5]

Russian doping scandal and athletics

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Main article: Doping in Russia

The idea of competing as "neutral athletes" was first proposed in 2016 by the World Anti-Doping Agency and the governing body of athletics, International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) at the conclusion of an investigation into Russian state manipulation of doping controls.[6][7] Around the same time, Russian track and field athlete Yuliya Stepanova requested to compete as a neutral instead of representing her country at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. The IOC ruled against the proposal stating that it ran contrary to the Olympic Charter, also announcing they would continue to permit Russian competitors at the games subject to approval by the international federation concerned of the sports composing the games, and doping clearance approved outside of Russia.[1][8]

The IAAF had already imposed an outright ban on track and field athletes competing but following an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport by Darya Klishina, a Russian Long Jumper based in the United States, the IAAF was forced to allow athletes who passed anti-doping test outside of Russia. Klishina was the only track and field athlete to represent Russia at the 2016 Olympic Games.[9][10]

 
While all other athletes wear clothing bearing a national flag, Authorised Neutral Athlete Mariya Lasitskene from Russia (left of center, turquoise) is the only athlete to wear generic Nike clothing

In April 2017 at IAAF World Championships in Athletics of London 2017, with the IAAF free to apply their own rules, approved the participation of a group of 19 Russians competing as neutral athletes, the first time the Authorised Neutral Athlete term was used.[3] A total of eight athletes competed as neutrals at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships.[11] A total of nine athletes competed as neutrals at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships.[12] A total of 30 athletes competed as neutrals at the 2018 European Athletics Championships. A total of 29 athletes competed as neutrals at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.

Russian invasion of Ukraine

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In response to the invasion, many sports' governing bodies immediately banned Russians and Belarusians from competing altogether, including in athletics whose Russians were already competing as authorised neutrals.

In tennis, the International Tennis Federation allowed Russians and Belarusians to continue playing as individuals without any national representation, but did not implement any designated group or category name.[13]

In motorsport, the Federation Internationale d'Automobile, a recognised International Sports Federation by the IOC,[14] followed the recommendation to allow drivers, competitors and officials to continue competing in a neutral capacity.[15][16] Although the FIA press release used the terms Authorised Neutral Competitor (ANC), Authorised Neutral Driver (AND) and Authorised Neutral Official (ANO), it was widely accepted that the term Authorised Neutral Athlete could also be used.[17][18][19][20] Indeed, in the FIA World Rally Championship, Russians including Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov began competing under the Authorised Neutral Athlete flag immediately following the ruling.[21][22][23] Whilst it is not confirmed as the intended reason, this helps to avoid confusion with the country code AND for Andorra. In FIA Formula Three circuit racing, Russian driver Alexander Smolyar is included on entry lists as having an 'AND' license, meanwhile in the GT World Challenge Europe, Russian drivers appear on entry lists as having ND license and nationality on profiles and no flag is ever presented in either championship.[24][25][26][27]

In cycling, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) also permitted athletes to continue competing in a neutral capacity whilst banning all Russian and Belarusian teams, officials and events. The UCI requested event organisers to replace the names, emblems and colours of the two countries with a "neutral reference or denomination".[28] So far, affected cyclists have not raced under any form of neutral name in events such as the Tour de France.

In the Olga Kharlan handshaking incident at the 2023 World Fencing Championships, Russian sabre fencer Anna Smirnova [ru] competed as an Authorised Neutral Athlete against Ukrainian Olga Kharlan.[29][30] In the bout, Kharlan defeated Smirnova 15–7. At the time, and since July 1, 2020 (and reconfirmed by FIE public notice in September 2020 and in January 2021), by public written notice the FIE had replaced its previous handshake requirement with a "salute" by the opposing fencers, and written in its public notice that handshakes were "suspended until further notice."[31][32][33][34][35] At the end of the bout the fencers came to the center of the strip and Smirnova extended her hand to Kharlan, who in turn extended her saber in an offer to the Russian to tap blades.[30][36][37] Kharlan said her choice of salute was meant as a sign of respect for her Russian opponent, while still acknowledging the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.[38] She said:

I proposed the salute with the blade, she didn’t want to do it and the referee told me I could leave, and after that I warmed up for the next bout, then ... they said they wanted to talk to me. I was informed that I had received the black card, but I don’t think it was the referee. The referee’s decision – he continued – was not to give the black card. It is very cruel even towards him, it is very cruel for everyone.[39]

Kharlan said that FIE interim president Emmanuel Katsiadakis, who had succeeded Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov as head of the FIE in 2022, had assured her the day prior that it was "possible" not to shake hands, and to instead offer a touch of her blade.[36][40] She said: "I thought I had his word, to be safe, but apparently, no."[36] Kharlan then walked away, while Smirnova refused to leave the piste and made a 45-minute long sit-down protest.[41][42][36] This was followed by Kharlan being disqualified by FIE officials.[43] The decision was reversed the following day.[44]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Background Information to the decision of the IOC Executive Board concerning the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games Rio 2016".
  2. ^ "IAAF World Championships London 2017 | WCH 17 | World Athletics". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  3. ^ a b "IAAF approves the application of seven Russians to compete internationally as neutral athletes". iaaf.org. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  4. ^ "A Londra c'è un mondo di atletica!" (in Italian). fidal.it. Retrieved 31 July 2017. ...e l'ANA (Authorised Neutral Athlete) di Mariya Kuchina maritata Lasitskene e di Sergey Shubenkov, la caucasica e il siberiano che, senza bandiera, riportano in scena una Russia ancora in via di espiazione.
  5. ^ "IOC EB recommends no participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials".
  6. ^ "WADA Statement: Independent Investigation confirms Russian State manipulation of the doping control process". World Anti-Doping Agency. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  7. ^ "IAAF insists on 'neutral' status for Russian athletes in Rio Olympics". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  8. ^ "Decision of the IOC Executive Board concerning the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games Rio 2016".
  9. ^ Gleeson, Michael (2016-07-31). "Rio Olympics 2016: Exempt Russian Darya Klishina training at Australian base". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  10. ^ "Exclusive: Russia's Klishina to compete after appeal upheld". Reuters. 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  11. ^ "Birmingham IAAF World Indoor Championships | WIC 18 | World Athletics". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  12. ^ "IAAF World U20 Championships Tampere 2018 | WJC 18 | World Athletics". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  13. ^ "ITF Statement: ITF suspends Russia and Belarus from ITF membership and international team competition | ITF". www.itftennis.com. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  14. ^ "Sports governed by International Federations recognised by the International Olympic Committee".
  15. ^ "FIA announces World Motor Sport Council decisions in relation to the situation in Ukraine". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  16. ^ "FIA CIRCULAR EMERGENCY MEASURES DUE TO RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE" (PDF).
  17. ^ "Rally Estonia backs government's Gryazin entry ban". DirtFish. 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  18. ^ "GRYAZIN'S MUTED WRC2 CELEBRATIONS". 9 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-06 – via PressReader.
  19. ^ Stampa, Comunicati (2022-07-09). "Gryazin e Lucky vincitori a S.Marino". Rally.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  20. ^ "Smolyar 'trying to focus on job' amid confusion over his F3 return". www.autosport.com. 19 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  21. ^ "Classifications". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 2022-06-03. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  22. ^ "Nikolay Gryazin Konstantin Aleksandrov Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2022".
  23. ^ "Nikolay Gryazin Konstantin Aleksandrov Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo Croatia Rally 2022".
  24. ^ "Spielberg Entry List" (PDF).
  25. ^ "2022 Standings". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  26. ^ "Entry list SPA" (PDF).
  27. ^ "Konstantin Tereschenko, 2022". Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  28. ^ "The UCI takes strong measures in the face of the situation in Ukraine". www.uci.org. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  29. ^ "Ukraine eases its sports boycott policy to compete against some Russians ahead of Olympics". The Hill. 27 July 2023.
  30. ^ a b Jere Longman (27 July 2023). "A Ukrainian fencer is disqualified after refusing to shake hands with a Russian opponent". The New York Times.
  31. ^ Jomantas, Nicole (6 March 2020). "Handshaking Rule Suspended at USA Fencing Events". USA Fencing.
  32. ^ Hopkins, Amanda (12 March 2020). "Oceania U20s and Handshaking Rule". Fencing New Zealand.
  33. ^ "Handshaking Rule Temporarily Suspended". British Fencing. 5 March 2020.
  34. ^ "FIE OUTLINE of RISK-MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS for NATIONAL FENCING FEDERATIONS and COMPETITION ORGANIZERS in the CONTEXT of COVID-19; PREPARED by FIE TASK FORCE and REVIEWED by FIE MEDICAL COMMISSION and FIE LEGAL COMMISSION," FIE, 1 July 2020 and September 2020.
  35. ^ "FIE OUTLINE of RISK-MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS for NATIONAL FENCING FEDERATIONS and COMPETITION ORGANISERS in the CONTEXT of COVID-19 (FORMIR – COVID-19) PREPARED by FIE TASK FORCE and REVIEWED by FIE MEDICAL COMMISSION and FIE LEGAL COMMISSION," FIE, January 2021.]
  36. ^ a b c d "World Fencing Championships: Ukraine's Olga Kharlan disqualified for refusing Russian Anna Smirnov's handshake". BBC. 27 July 2023.
  37. ^ Aadi Nair (27 July 2023). "Ukrainian fencer disqualified from world championships for refusing handshake with Russian opponent; Olga Kharlan offered to touch blades after beating Anna Smirnova, who then staged a sit-down protest at the handshake refusal". The Independent.
  38. ^ Dedaj, Paulina (27 July 2023). "Olympic gold medalist disqualified from World Championships after refusing handshake with Russian opponent; Olga Kharlan is a four-time individual world champion". Fox News.
  39. ^ "The Ukrainian Kharlan beats the Russian Smirnova at the fencing World Championships but does not shake her hand: disqualified after the rival's protest". Italy24. 27 July 2023.
  40. ^ "'Shameful' as Ukrainian fencer disqualified for refusing to shake hands with Russian". France 24. 27 July 2023.
  41. ^ Borger, Julian (2023-07-27). "Ukraine calls for disqualified fencer to be reinstated after anti-Russia protest". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-07-28. Smirnova approached the Ukrainian to shake hands, but Kharlan, an Olympic champion, held up her sabre instead and walked away.
  42. ^ Svitlana Vlasova and Tim Lister (27 July 2023). "Ukraine's top fencer disqualified from world championship after refused handshake with Russian". CNN.
  43. ^ "World Fencing Championships: Ukraine's Olga Kharlan disqualified for refusing Russian Anna Smirnov's handshake". Yahoo Sports. 27 July 2023.
  44. ^ Yevhen Kizilov (28 July 2023). "Ukrainian fencer gets automatically qualified for Olympics". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
    "Russia-Ukraine conflict: Fencer Olga Kharlan ban lifted as she is handed Olympic spot". BBC Sport. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
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