The International Olympic Committee has provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, saying the Russian body has removed from its membership regional sports organizations in Ukrainian territory. The move could ease the path for broader Russian participation in qualification events for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, though final decisions on Russian participation and symbols will depend on individual sports federations and IOC policies.
The IOC’s executive board said it provisionally lifted the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) suspension that had been in place since October 12, 2023, after the IOC’s legal review concluded the ROC no longer includes as members any regional sports organizations in territories under the jurisdiction of Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee.
The IOC had suspended the ROC in 2023 after the Russian committee moved to incorporate sports bodies from four Ukrainian regions that Russia claims to have annexed — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — a step the IOC said violated the Olympic Charter by breaching Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
In announcing the change, the IOC said its earlier recommendations to international federations restricting Russian athletes’ participation are no longer applicable. That shift could affect qualification pathways for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, but individual sports federations retain discretion over whether and how Russian athletes and teams are permitted to compete.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said the aim was to ensure athletes have the possibility to compete and are not held responsible for their government’s actions. She added that the decision allows Russian athletes to take part in competitions while maintaining the IOC’s stance that it does not condone violence or war.
The IOC said it will not organize IOC events in Russia or invite Russian government or state officials to IOC events. Decisions on whether competitions are staged in Russia by international federations, and whether Russian symbols such as the flag, anthem, or national colors are permitted at events, will be made by the relevant sports bodies.
Russian and Belarusian athletes have in recent years competed in some events under neutral status, subject to eligibility and vetting requirements set by the IOC and individual federations. Ukraine’s sports authorities and athletes have criticized the IOC’s latest move, arguing it is premature while Russia’s war in Ukraine continues.
