IOC Provisionally Lifts Suspension of Russian Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, marking a significant step towards Russia’s reintegration into the Olympic fold before the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

The IOC said on Tuesday that its executive board had lifted the suspension but had not decided yet on whether Russia would be allowed to display its flag or colours or have its anthem played at the Summer Games.

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) was suspended in October that year for recognising regional Olympic councils in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine – Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia.

It insisted it would continue supporting Ukraine.

“We don’t condone any wars, including this one. We will continue to support Ukraine like we have since this started. But I don’t believe athletes should pay the price,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said at a news conference.

“We don’t want to hold athletes accountable for the actions of their government.”

“We made it clear that all athletes had the possibility to compete at the Olympic Games. This is what this decision speaks to. It allows Russian athletes to take part in sports competitions. We thought it was really important for athletes to have that possibility,” Coventry said.

She added that the IOC would continue to closely monitor Russia.

There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine.

Russian Sport Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said the IOC’s decision should clear the way for Russian athletes to make a full return to the international sporting stage.

“Our country’s return to the Olympic family is a green light for international federations to reinstate all our athletes,” Degtyarev said.

Russian athletes competed as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games.

“The decision was taken following a thorough ⁠analysis by the IOC’s Legal Affairs Commission, considering that the ROC no longer includes ⁠as its members any regional sports organisations in territories falling under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine,” the IOC said in a statement.

The IOC had said in 2023 that Russia recognising regional Olympic councils in occupied parts of Ukraine violated the Olympic Charter and the territorial integrity of Ukraine’s Olympic Committee.

On ⁠Tuesday it said: “The ROC confirmed that it does not, and will not, conduct any activities in these territories. The IOC EB will continue to closely monitor the situation relating to any ROC activities in ⁠those territories, and reserves the right to take any further measures if deemed necessary.”

Doping scandals

In addition to Russia being ostracised over its invasion of Ukraine, its athletes’ return to competition comes against the backdrop of one of the most damaging doping scandals in Olympic history.

The country has been under scrutiny since a 2015 World Anti-Doping Agency-commissioned report found evidence of systematic doping in Russian athletics, followed by findings that a ‌state-sponsored cover-up operated around the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Russia was barred from competing under its flag at several subsequent Games with many athletes admitted only as neutrals, and the doping agency imposed a four-year ban in 2019 after Moscow was found to have manipulated laboratory data – a ‌sanction ‌later cut to two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Russian officials have repeatedly denied the existence of a state-backed doping programme.

“We ask to ensure that adequate testing is done on Russian athletes coming into the LA28 Games,” Coventry said.

Sanctions against Russian athletes have been lifted in various capacities by global sports federations.

World Aquatics ruled in April that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete under their national flags at international swimming and aquatic sports events after the sport’s governing body lifted a ban on their participation.

The same month, World Boxing allowed boxers from Russia and Belarus to compete “with immediate effect” in international competitions as neutral athletes.