Golf federation readmits Russians; fencing event called off

The International Golf Federation has said Russian and Belarusian athletes can return to competing in international competitions as neutrals, while a second fencing event in Germany has been canceled since the ban on athletes from the two countries was reversed.

The IGF noted that no decision has been made on whether Russians or Belarusians can compete at next year’s Paris Olympics.

“The IOC has not made a decision regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and as such the IGF board has deferred any decision on their participation at the Olympic golf competitions,” the IGF said in a statement Friday.

The field for men’s and women’s golf at the Olympics consists of 60 players with qualification determined through the Olympic Golf Ranking. No Russians or Belarusians are currently in the top 60 of the men’s or women’s rankings.

Meanwhile, the Olympic Fencing Club of Bonn called off its annual World Cup men’s foil event, set for Nov. 10-12, with club president Gudrun Nettersheim telling Sueddeutsche Zeitung that “a World Cup with Russian fencers would simply be unthinkable”.

“This is a decision we have taken because there is an inhuman war going on. And we made it for all the athletes in the club,” Nettersheim said.

Germany’s fencing federation previously canceled an event in Tauberbischofsheim.

The decision by fencing’s global governing body, FIE, to readmit Russians and Belarusians prompted Ukraine’s fencing federation (NFFU) to say it would boycott all events in which fencers from the two countries were included, while hundreds of fencers publicly stated their opposition in an open letter.

The NFFU has also filed an appeal against the FIE’s decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Denmark, Norway and Poland have canceled international events, while Norway has said its fencers will not participate in events where Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete.

The International Olympic Committee sanctioned Russia and its ally Belarus after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022 but in March recommended that their athletes be allowed to return to international competition as neutrals.

Table tennis, pentathlon, judo and taekwondo are among the other Olympic sports to have readmitted athletes from the two countries.

Reuters contributed to this report.