The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), moving Russia closer to fielding a full team with its flag and anthem at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The IOC also advised Olympic sports bodies to end the three-year program requiring Russian athletes to be vetted for neutral status.
Timing and Rationale
The IOC stated the timing was due to the start of qualifying events for the Los Angeles Games and “the need to offer equal access to these competitions to all athletes.” The decision had been anticipated since the IOC advised two months ago that athletes from Belarus, Russia’s ally during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, should also be allowed to compete with full national identity.
“We don’t want to hold athletes accountable for the actions of their governments,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said during an online news conference after chairing an executive board meeting. A two-time Olympic gold medalist for Zimbabwe, Coventry defended the decision: “I wouldn’t be sitting here if I had to pay the price when my country was going through things and being sanctioned.”
Ukrainian Response
Ukraine’s sports minister, Matvii Bidnyi, questioned the IOC’s change, noting that in the war “nothing changed. The situation became even worse.” He pointed to Russia’s missile and drone attacks on Monday, which killed at least 22 people. “So we don’t understand it,” Bidnyi told The Associated Press. “In this day, when all of Ukraine is in a day of mourning, when our flags were a little bit lower because of so many people, our peaceful citizens were killed yesterday at night.” The IOC reiterated its “solidarity with the Olympic community of Ukraine” and ongoing financial support.
Barriers Remain
The IOC’s guidance is not binding for individual sports’ governing bodies. Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov welcomed the move: “Our country’s return to the Olympic family is a green light for international federations to restore the rights of our athletes.” However, World Athletics maintained its ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, and FIFA and UEFA continue to exclude Russia from events like the World Cup and Champions League. Russian athletes may also face visa issues from some host countries.
Russia’s Return
World Aquatics lifted restrictions on Russian athletes in April. The ROC was suspended in 2023 for incorporating regional sports councils from occupied Ukrainian territories, but the IOC noted the ROC confirmed it “does not, and will not, conduct any activities in these territories.” Bidnyi dismissed this as “just fake and empty words.” At the 2024 Paris Olympics, only 32 athletes from Russia and Belarus competed as neutrals. The Russian team in Los Angeles could approach the more than 300 athletes sent to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, which won 71 medals including 20 golds.
Athletes Still Monitored
For neutral status, Russian athletes must show no links to state military or security agencies and must not have publicly supported the war. The IOC will continue monitoring social media posts, with Coventry citing the “role models” requirement in the Olympic Charter. IOC official James Macleod said the IOC receives referrals from Ukraine about problematic posts: “Those are always taken into consideration.” The Australian Olympic Committee called for stringent anti-doping controls, citing Russia’s doping history: “Russia has had extremely serious anti-doping breaches in the past.”
Flag and Anthem to Return in October?
The IOC has not yet approved the use of Russia’s flag and anthem, deferring the decision to “an appropriate time.” The next Olympic competition is the 2026 Youth Summer Games in Dakar, Senegal, opening October 31. The IOC said athletes must undergo multiple doping controls and be part of a recognized testing program to address “the lack of confidence in the global sporting community.” The IOC will continue to not organize events in Russia or invite Russian government officials.
