IOC declines to give Russia and Belarus formal invitations to Paris Olympics 1 year out

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The IOC says Russia and Belarus won’t get a formal invitation to the 2024 Paris Olympics when more than 200 national teams receive their traditional invites later this month. It’s an International Olympic Committee tradition exactly one year before a Summer Games opens to invite all national teams worldwide to take part. Despite the protocol move, some Russian and Belarusian athletes could still compete in Paris despite their countries’ war on Ukraine. The IOC says 203 eligible Olympic teams will be sent their invitations to Paris on July 26. Guatemala also currently is excluded because of a local sports politics dispute.