The International Olympic Committee (IOC) yesterday called for athletes and officials from both countries to be banned from international sports events in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

This did include the provision that where "this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons", International Federations should ensure that Russian and Belarusian athletes compete as neutrals and both countries' national symbols, colours, flags and anthems are not displayed.

FIG's last update on sanctions imposed in the wake of Russia's military offensive came on Saturday (February 26), with Russian and Belarusian national flags and anthems banned from its events, and competitions due to be held in both countries cancelled.

Belarusian and Russian athletes are listed on the Doha World Cup organisers' start list.

These include Yahor Sharamkou of Belarus, who won the men's floor exercise gold at the opening FIG World Cup of the season in Cottbus.

The Russian Gymnastics Federation's Olympic women's team gold medallist Viktoriia Listunova is also on the entry list.

Tokyo 2020 men's horizontal bar silver medallist Tin Srbić is among the other stars due to compete in Doha, with the Croatian aiming to build on his second-place finish in Cottbus.

Israel's men's floor exercise champion Artem Dolgopyat is also on the start list, as well as Uzbekistan's Oksana Chusovitina.

Chusovitina earned a team gold medal at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics, and is returning to the sport after a brief retirement.

A total of 30 countries have entered the World Cup, with 77 athletes set to compete in the men's events and 31 in the women's.

Competition is due to begin with men's qualification in the floor exercise, pommel horse and rings, as well as women's vault and uneven bars qualifiers.

The men's vault, parallel bars and horizontal bars events as well as the women's balance beam and floor exercise are due to begin on Thursday (March 3), with finals scheduled for Friday (March 4) and Saturday (March 5).