Sabalenka 'Happy' Olympic Ban Imposed On Russian & Belarusian Athletes Lifted

| by Nurein Ahmed

Aryna Sabalenka was recently asked of her thoughts about playing at the 2024 Paris Olympics after the restrictions placed on Russian and Belarusian athletes were lifted.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, sporting bodies have sanctioned Russian athletes and those from Belarus - a country that has a key Russian ally in the ongoing war. The hefty price these athletes paid was the inability to compete in some Olympic sports.

Secondly, those in active competition, like tennis players, could only compete under a neutral flag. Additionally, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) imposed a ban on athletes from those two countries from competing at the Olympics in 2024.

But late last year, representatives of several sports federations engaged key stakeholders within the IOC to admit Russian and Belarusian athletes into the Games provided certain conditions were met, one of which was to play under a white or neutral flag.

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The IOC obliged and lifted the ban. That means the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Aryna Sabalenka will be allowed to play at the showpiece event in Paris. It is a momentous occasion for Sabalenka, who is currently in the WTA's Top 10 list of qualifying players.

Sabalenka spoke to reporters after her straight-sets victory over 16-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova earned her a spot in the third round of the Australian Open. The World No. 2 stated that she was ecstatic that she would play the tennis event in late July.

It will be her second participation at the Olympic Games after being bundled out of the tournament in the second round in Tokyo three years ago.

The Olympics will take place just before the North American summer hard court season, and Sabalenka hopes she will be healthy by then as it is one of her season's objectives.

"I'm happy that they actually let us play there. Yeah, of course. This is something what each athlete want to do well in. This is one of the goals. I'm really looking forward for the Olympics. Hopefully, I'll be healthy and ready to compete there on a high level."

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