The United States government will work with the United States Olympic Committee to ensure that athletes and officials from all countries are granted “expedited access” to the nation, following the travel restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump’s Executive Order.
In a statement, the USOC added that it hoped the ruling will “appropriately recognise the values on which our nation, as well as the Olympic Movement, were founded.”
The sporting world is still coming to terms with the potential consequences of Trump’s order, which prohibits citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – from entering the US for a 90-day period.
The move also bans Syrian refugees indefinitely, while refugees from all nationalities worldwide will not be able to travel to the US for 120 days. It is not yet completely clear how extensive the restrictions, currently only a 90-day temporary measure, will be.
