UK calls on IOC to maintain Olympic ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes

• Culture secretary tells IOC athletes should not compete in Paris
• More than 30 nations oppose change while war continues

The United Kingdom will continue to support a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sporting events, including at next year's Olympics, the culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, has said.

The International Olympic Committee announced last month that it was exploring a pathway" for athletes from the two nations to compete as neutrals in qualification events for the Paris Games having called on federations to exclude them following the invasion of Ukraine, the first anniversary of which is this week.