Comparing the plight of Ukrainian athletes with those in another war-ravaged country Yemen, IOC president Thomas Bach explained to Olympic athlete groups Monday its policy on helping Russians compete with neutral status before the 2024 Paris Games. The International Olympic Committee invited a global selection of athlete representatives to a two-day meeting while sports bodies work to shape their neutrality rules and assess individual Russians who want to return to international events and qualify for Paris. Ukrainian judoka Georgii Zantaraia told Bach his country did not understand why neutral status is being offered to Russian athletes and suggested any who disapproved of the war could compete in the Olympic refugee team.