Ukraine Appeals Against IOC Decision Favoring Russian Athletes

The Ukrainian Olympic Committee (UOC) lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on July 28, 2026, seeking to annul the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to ease restrictions on Russian athletes. The move challenges the IOC's July ruling that lifted the disqualification of the Russian Olympic Committee and partially restored the rights of Russian athletes to compete internationally.

The IOC decision allowed Russian athletes to return to team events and qualify for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The UOC argues that the decision is premature, contradicts the Olympic Charter, and ignores the circumstances that led to the initial disqualification following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Currently, Russia's return to sports remains more restricted than that of Belarus, which the IOC allowed in May to compete without any limitations on national symbols. Russia has also previously appealed to CAS against disqualifications in winter sports such as luge and skiing, obtaining favorable rulings.