[1/2] French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a working meeting 500 days ahead of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games at the Paris and Ile-de-France Prefecture in Paris, France March 14, 2023. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said no Russian flag should fly at next year's Paris Olympics, with Russian athletes' participation an issue for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to decide. "Of course, there can be no Russian flag during the Paris Games, I think there is a consensus on that matter. "The real question, that the Olympic organisation should decide upon, is what place can be given to the Russian athletes (...) an issue that should not be politicized." Some Ukrainian athletes see their nation's current blanket ban on competing against Russians and Belarusians - regardless of the flag athletes from those two countries compete under - as a self-inflicted wound damaging sports stars' careers.

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Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Ludovic Marin, Macron, Julien Pretot, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Paralympic Games, Rights, International Olympic Committee, Russian, Paris Games, L'Equipe, Thomson Locations: Paris, Ile, de, France Prefecture, France, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus