Ukraine appeals IOC’s reinstatement of Russia’s Olympic committee to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the IOC’s decision to reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee, arguing that the violation was only nominally corrected.
The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, challenging a decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).
Kyiv argues that the original violation — the inclusion of sports organizations operating in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine within the ROC’s structure — was corrected only on paper, and that this nominal fix cannot justify lifting the restrictions on the ROC.
The IOC stripped the ROC of its powers in 2023, citing the inclusion of Olympic councils from Russian-occupied areas in eastern and southern Ukraine within its structure. The ROC later carried out reforms, removing all Olympic councils from its structure, and pledged not to operate in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. On that basis, the IOC lifted its restrictions on the ROC and Russian athletes in July 2026. Russian athletes are no longer required to compete exclusively under neutral status, and they will be able to take part in team events, not just individual ones.
The IOC’s decision angered Ukraine and its European partners. Nine EU countries asked the European Commission to strip the IOC of its funding.
