Who are independent Olympic athletes? Meet the group competing under the AIN flag at 2024 Summer Olympics

The Olympics opening ceremony in Paris will feature thousands of the world's best athletes and nearly every recognizable flag from across the world. One flag won't represent a country at all, though.

The teal flag that reads, "AIN," represents independent athletes, with nearly three-dozen heading to Paris without representing a particular country.

It's not the first time independent athletes have competed under their own flag at the Olympics. In most cases the traditional Olympic flag has been flown for independents, a practice that dates back more than 30 years. Various reasons have forced athletes to fly the independent flag, rather than their own country's flag, and the reason this year stems from a major geopolitical conflict.

Here's a look at the independent athletes in this year's Olympics, as well as a history of independent Olympic athletes.

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Who are the independent Olympic athletes?

Independent athletes at the Paris Olympics are competing under the moniker, "Individual Neutral Athletes." Their official flag reads "AIN" because the French translation is "Athlètes Individuels Neutres."

This year, independent athletes are from Russia and Belarus. The International Olympic Committee suspended both nations after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, later determining athletes from the countries can compete if they don't actively support the war. However, Russian and Belarusian athletes are not allowed to represent their home countries via flags or colors.

Russian athletes competed under a different moniker in 2018 and 2020 after the country was suspended due to a state-sponsored performance-enhancing drug program, but the 2022 decision by the IOC is stricter and forces these athletes to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes.

There are 31 independent athletes heading to the Paris Olympics: 16 from Belarus and 15 from Russia.

Here's a look at the complete history of independent athletes at the Olympics.

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History of independent Olympic athletes

Olympic athletes first competed under the independent moniker in 1992, when athletes from Yugoslavia and Macedonia participated under that designation. Athletes from the fallen Soviet Union also competed as the Unified Team, though they weren't considered independent.

The independent designation wouldn't be used again until 2000, when four athletes from East Timor competed under the moniker.

Some athletes from the islands that made up the Netherlands Antilles competed as independents in 2012, as did athletes from South Sudan because the nation's Olympic committee was not yet formed.

One Indian athlete competed as an independent at the 2014 Winter Olympics due to issues with the Indian Olympic Association's electoral process, while athletes from Kuwait competed as independents in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Fehaid Al-Deehani became the first gold medalist under the independent designation in 2016.

The Refugee Olympic Team also competed under the Olympic flag in 2016 but wasn't considered independent.

Russian athletes competed under the Olympic flag as "Olympic Athletes from Russia" in 2018. Russia was banned from the Olympics over a state-sponsored performance-enhancing drug program, though Olympic Athletes from Russia still won gold in men's hockey.

The Refugee Olympic Team competed as independents at Tokyo in 2021. Russia's ban persisted, but this time the athletes were allowed to compete as "ROC," or Russian Olympic Committee. They competed under the Russian Olympic Committee flag, rather than the general Olympic flag.

Independent Olympic athletes medal history

Independent Olympic athletes have won a total of 22 medals since the designation was first used in 1992, including three gold medals.

Here's a look at the three gold medals belonging to independent Olympic athletes.