Guatemalan athletes who competed under the Panam Sports flag at the last multi-sport event, the Pan American Games in Santiago in 2023, will be able to wear their country's official uniform again and carry their flag at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

"In the interest of the athletes, the IOC Executive Board considered ir appropriate to provisionally lift the suspension until further notice. This means that Guatemalan athletes can prepare for the Paris Games, where they will compete with their flag and anthem," said James Mcleod, Director of Olympic Solidarity and Relations with National Olympic Committees on Tuesday.

"This decision was taken following positive developments in recent weeks," Mcleod added. On Saturday, the General Assembly of the Guatemalan Olympic Committee, in an extraordinary session, expelled the President of its Executive Committee, Jorge Rodas, who was elected on 9 October 2021 in a process not recognised by the IOC.

Guatemala' suspension was the result of an intervention by the country's Highest Court, which overturned certain provisions of the statutes and rules of the National Olympic Committee. The sanction took effect on 15 October 2022.

"This is news that should give us a lot of satisfaction, a lot of joy. The Guatemalan flag will fly fully in Paris," Arévalo said in a video posted on social media. "Our athletes will make sure that we hear our anthem as often as possible on the podiums and we thank the president of the International Olympic Committee [Thomas Bach] for this effort," he added.

On his first European tour since taking office in January, Arevalo met Bach in Switzerland on 21 February to discuss Guatemala's suspension. With the announcement, Guatemala begins preparations for its 15th consecutive participation in the Olympic Games. The country first took part in Mexico 1968 and has not missed a single Games since.

Next July, the Guatemalan flag will once again fly in the mega-sporting event of the Olympic cycle. To date, and with 128 days to go until the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Guatemala has 10 qualified athletes and hopes to add more in the coming months. Runner Luis Grijalva, who will compete in the 5,000m, is one of the country's biggest stars.

The Guatemalan athletes confirmed for Paris 2024 are the following:

1.⁠ ⁠Sebastian Bermudez (Shooting).

2.⁠ ⁠Jose Alejandro Barrondo (Race Walking, 20km).

3.⁠ ⁠Adriana Ruano (Shooting).

4.⁠ ⁠Andres Feraández (Modern Pentathlon).

5.⁠ ⁠Jean Pierre Brol (Shooting).

6.⁠ ⁠Juan Ignacio Maegli (Sailing).

7.⁠ ⁠Luis Grijalva – Athletics (5,000 m)
8.⁠ ⁠Sophia Hernandez – Modern Pentathlon
9.⁠ ⁠Alberto Gonzalez – Marathon
10.⁠ ⁠Waleska Soto – Shooting