Two months after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board approved Belarus’ return to international competition, the organisation’s Legal Affairs Commission has provisionally lifted sanctions on the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), opening the door to participation at the next Summer Olympic Games.
A return in time for Los Angeles 2028 has long been the target for Russian sporting authorities after the Swiss-based IOC excluded the country from both the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, an operation backed by Belarus.
Nearly six months have elapsed since IOC President Kirsty Coventry warned of “some uncomfortable conversations ahead” on the eve of the Winter Games in Italy. After Belarus was readmitted in early May, it appeared increasingly likely that the Russian Olympic Committee—if not Russian sport as a whole—would eventually receive the same treatment.
That moment arrived on Tuesday when the IOC formally reinstated the ROC, pointing to what it described as “very constructive” discussions with Russian sporting authorities. The organisation also recommended that international sports federations discontinue the three-year system of assessing Russian athletes for neutral status ahead of qualification events for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Addressing a much-anticipated virtual press conference from IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Coventry was joined by NOC Relations, Olympic Solidarity & Olympism 365 Director James MacLeod and IOC Sports Director Pierre Ducrey. Despite the significance of the announcement with the next Summer Games now just two years away, the IOC president maintained a measured approach, while senior officials largely avoided questions regarding what is expected to be a less favourable response from Ukraine.
“The IOC stands in solidarity with the Olympic community of Ukraine, which the Olympic Movement has supported since the beginning of the war, and will continue to do so,” the governing body said in its official statement following the Executive Board meeting.
IOC officials explained that the circumstances which led to the original suspension—namely the ROC’s incorporation of sports organisations from the occupied Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia—were no longer considered applicable. At the same time, the organisation stressed that Russian athletes returning to international competition would do so on a provisional basis and remain subject to all anti-doping requirements. It also reiterated that it has no plans, for the time being, to stage competitions in Russia or invite Russian government or state representatives to IOC events.
“We don’t condone any wars, including this one. But I don’t believe athletes should pay the price. We don’t want to hold athletes accountable for the actions of their government,” Coventry said during the virtual media briefing.
“We made it clear that all athletes had the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games. That is exactly what this decision reflects. It gives Russian athletes the chance to participate in sporting competitions, and we believed it was important to preserve that opportunity.”
Coventry, who made history just over a year ago by becoming the IOC’s first female and first African president after succeeding Germany’s Thomas Bach, has centred her presidency around the ‘Fit for the Future’ agenda. The programme includes reforms to the Olympic sports calendar, greater gender equality at the Games and changes to the host city selection process, among other initiatives. However, safeguarding the principle of sporting neutrality has remained one of the defining challenges of her tenure as she steers the Olympic Movement through an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment.
Controversies such as the case of Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics further illustrated the legal and public relations complexities surrounding that neutrality. Heraskevych was excluded after wearing a prohibited tribute helmet honouring Ukrainians killed in the war with Russia. Despite such incidents, Coventry has continued to champion the view that sport should remain “a safe place for all”, a message she reiterated during Tuesday’s media briefing.
“The selection shall be based not only on sports performance, but also on athletes’ ability to serve as role models who respect, uphold and promote a peaceful society through sport, as set forth in the Olympic Charter,” Coventry said.
MacLeod explained that the IOC would continue monitoring the situation through information provided by National Olympic Committees, particularly Ukraine’s.
“We’ve had a lot of conversations, obviously, with the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee, who gives us a lot of information on the activities of Russian athletes, and those are always taken into consideration,” he said.
The IOC also confirmed that a decision on whether the Russian flag and anthem will be permitted at IOC-sanctioned events has yet to be made and will be addressed “at an appropriate time”. It added that it would continue overseeing any activities involving the ROC in the occupied Ukrainian territories—where the Russian Olympic Committee has said it will not operate—and reserved “the right to take any further measures if deemed necessary.”
A total of 32 Russian and Belarusian competitors took part in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as Individual Neutral Athletes, winning five medals between them. Team sports, however, remained excluded at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, preventing the traditionally strong Russian men’s ice hockey team from competing for the title.
Russia has also continued to face scrutiny over sporting integrity following the doping scandal that emerged in 2015 involving Russian athletics. Investigations later concluded that a state-backed cover-up had affected anti-doping controls during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, allegations that Russian authorities have consistently rejected.
“When it comes to some of the measures, what was really important to us was ensuring the sporting community has confidence that we can provide a fair and safe competitive environment,” Coventry said.
“That’s why we’ve introduced additional safeguards to make sure Russian athletes have undergone the necessary testing before returning to international competition. Every international federation has its own anti-doping regulations, so the procedures vary. If the Russian Anti-Doping Agency remains non-compliant, the International Testing Agency will be responsible for ensuring those requirements are met.”
Although Ukraine had not issued an immediate response to the IOC’s latest decision, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev welcomed the move, saying it should pave the way for a full return of Russian athletes to international competition.
“Our country’s return to the Olympic family is a green light for international federations to reinstate all our athletes,” he said.
