IOC details Russia stance for Olympics, cites human rights

By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer
GENEVA (AP) — The International Olympic Committee has stepped up efforts to explain its position on trying to help Russian athletes qualify for the Paris Games. It comes amid a backlash from Ukraine and its allies. The Olympic body last week mapped a pathway to Paris for athletes from Russia and Belarus who have not actively supported the war. That provoked powerful pushback from Ukraine, which wants to see those countries remain banned from most international sports. The IOC also says there’s no plan for its president Thomas Bach to accept Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s invitation to visit.