The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has taken a step towards allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics after releasing new guidelines that could see them compete under a neutral flag. The latest framework softens the IOC’s recommendation made at the start of the Ukraine war to ban official teams from Russia and Belarus, as well as athletes and coaches who have expressed support for the war. IOC President Thomas Bach defended the widely-criticised move, saying that sports like tennis have shown athletes can successfully compete as neutrals. And an Aussie Olympian who’s trying to get the all-clear is runner Peter Bol. He’s been accused of taking banned synthetic EPO, but 2 independent tests organised by his legal team revealed the sample didn’t contain the performance-enhancing drug. Anti-doping body Sport Integrity Australia’s investigation into the matter continues.