Who are the AIN competing at Paris 2024? All you need to know about the new entity
Updated . First published
Have you been wondering who the AIN is at Paris 2024?
It's not a new country, but they are a completely new entity that are taking on the Olympic Games.
The team is being led by tennis star and world No.5 Daniil Medvedev, but they're not all from the same place.
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So, who exactly are the AIN?
The AIN stands for Athlètes Individuels Neutres, with the decision made as the International Olympics Committee took a stance against the war on Ukraine.
Individual Neutral Athlete Yauheni Zalaty during the Men's Single Sculls Heat 4 at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. Sportsfile via Getty Images
32 athletes are competing at Paris 2024 as part of AIN.
15 of them are from Russia, while 17 are from Belarus.
The journey to create the AIN was not an easy, or straightforward one, however.
Before Paris 2024, each international federation of all sports were asked to decide whether they were for or against allowing Russian and Belarus athletes to compete under their nation flags at the Olympic Games.
Individual Neutral Athlete Ilia Shymanovich reacts after competing in the Men's 100m Breaststroke Semifinals on day one of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Getty
While some federations called for a complete ban, there were others who were happy to let them compete under their flags.
The decision was then made to create the AIN, but the process to be allowed to actually compete, became even more complex.
Athletes were required to attend an IOC review panel, who decided if they were allowed to compete.
If there were ties to the Russian military or anything regarding the war, those athletes were immediately turned away from Paris 2024.
Daniil Medvedev of Team Individual Neutral Athletes plays a forehand against Rinky Hijikata of Team Australia during the Men's Singles first round match at Paris 2024. Getty
Those 32 athletes have been required to sign the conditions of participation to compete, like all athletes from all nations at Paris 2024.
But it wasn't just athletes who were barred if there were any ties, with coaches, officials and journalists also required to face the review panel.
The tension between the IOC and Russia is not new, however.
Due to doping, Russia was banned from the Olympic Games in 2019 for four years.
But, they did return for Tokyo 2020, where they were forced to go under a new name, the Russian Olympic Committee.
Since the war began at the start of 2022, the IOC has forced Russian athletes to compete under neutrality.
The AIN also did not participate in the opening ceremony.
