Latvia 3x3 star takes stand against IOC's decision on Russian and Belarusian athletes / News - Basketnews.com

Olympic champion Nauris Miezis announces he will boycott the Paris Olympics in protest of the IOC's decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate under a neutral flag.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Nauris Miezis, the Tokyo Olympic champion in 3x3 basketball, has become the first Latvian athlete to express his decision not to participate in the Paris Olympics if athletes from Russia and Belarus are allowed to compete, a decision recently approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) board.

Nauris Miezis

Position:SFAge:32Height:190 cmWeight:86 kgBirth place:LatviaProfileNewsStatistics

"My position is that I totally do not support this, but if there is the final decision for 100%, then I will definitely be the athlete who will not participate in the Olympic Games," Miezis told LTV Sports.

"I don't like it when athletes are involved in such political affairs, but this time, we have to say something, and we can somehow help out," he added. "The IOC's decision, in my opinion, is not right, and we, as athletes, can do something better about it."

On Friday, the IOC approved the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Paris Olympics under a neutral flag, with the exception of team events, as long as they do not actively support the war in Ukraine.

The initial ban on Russians and Belarusians from international competition had been implemented following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, utilizing Belarus as a staging ground.

Athletes actively supporting the war in Ukraine or those contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military remain ineligible.

The committee identified eight Russian athletes and three Belarusian athletes who currently qualify as neutral participants.

On Monday, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics criticized the decision, stating that it undermines key principles of the Olympic movement.

"To my mind, if nothing changes, it would be very difficult to see Ukrainian or Latvian athletes competing there. But this is, of course, a decision that needs to be taken by the governments and sports communities in every country, and, of course, it has to be well coordinated and well thought through with like-minded nations, including Ukraine, the Baltic nations, and other European nations that are not happy with these decisions," he said, via LRT.

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