Russia basketball barred from Olympics due to invasion of Ukraine, FIBA says
Russia's last won a men's basketball medal in 2012
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russia will not compete in basketball at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris due to its invasion of Ukraine, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) ruled Tuesday.
The organization has barred the country from international play since the invasion last year, so the Olympic ban isn't exactly a surprise.
The International Olympic Committee has allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to qualify for the games but as a neutral entity.
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Russia fans cheer on their team during a men's basketball quarterfinal game during the London 2012 Olympic Games at North Greenwich Arena Aug. 8, 2012, in London. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Russia will now be replaced by Bulgaria.
Wimbledon recently reversed its decision and began allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus again to play in the championships but with strict conditions.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Replicas of the Eiffel Tower with the logo of the 2024 Olympic Games for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games are displayed inside the official store Nov. 15, 2022, in Paris. (Chesnot/Getty Images)
Players will have to declare they are "neutral" and will also be prohibited from any "expressions of support" for Russia’s invasion. And any player receiving funding from the Russian and/or Belarusian states" will be barred from entering competition.
Russian players react while taking on Spain during a men's basketball semifinal at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the North Greenwich Arena Aug. 10, 2012, in London. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Russia won its lone men's basketball medal, a bronze, in 2012 in London. It had silver medal finishes at both the 1994 and 1998 FIBA World Cup.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.