Russia and its ally Belarus are banned from sending athletes to the Games amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The 36 Russian and 24 Belarusian athletes who are in Paris will compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (INA), which means there will be no national anthems or flags on display.

Those who are competing had to meet strict criteria set out by the International Olympic Committee, such as not actively supporting the war, and then pass a vetting check by their national federation and the IOC.

The decision to allow Russian and Belarusian nationals to compete has been criticised by some, but IOC president Thomas Bach defended the decision.

Athletes gathered in the Olympic Village earlier this week with Bach, wearing scarves with the message “give peace a chance” on them.

“You, the Olympic athletes, are the peace ambassadors of our time,” Bach said.

“You will compete fiercely against each other. At the same time, you are living peacefully together under one roof, here in the Olympic Village.

“You are respecting the same rules and most importantly you are respecting each other.

“In this way, you are sending a resounding message of peace from Paris to the world.”