IOC Provisionally Lifts Suspension of Russian Olympic Committee; Athletes Can Return to International Competitions

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) on Tuesday, marking a significant step towards Russia's reintegration into the Olympic fold ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The ROC was suspended in October 2023 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, for recognizing regional Olympic councils in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine — Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

The IOC said its executive board had lifted that suspension but had not decided yet on whether Russia could display its flag, colors or have its anthem played at the Games. "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," IOC president Kirsty Coventry told a press conference.

Russian Sports 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 at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games.

The IOC stated that 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 organizations in territories falling under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine. In 2023, the IOC had said that Russia recognizing regional Olympic councils in occupied parts of Ukraine violated the Olympic Charter and the territorial integrity of Ukraine’s Olympic Committee. The IOC Executive Board will continue to closely monitor the situation and reserves the right to take any further measures if deemed necessary.

In addition to Russia being ostracized 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. Russian officials have repeatedly denied the existence of a state-backed doping program. Coventry said, "We ask to ensure that adequate testing is done on Russian athletes coming into the LA28 Games."