The International Olympic Committee has provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, marking a significant step toward Russia’s return to the Olympic fold ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

The ROC had been suspended since October 2023 after it moved to incorporate regional sports organisations from four partially occupied Ukrainian territories Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia under its jurisdiction, a decision the IOC ruled at the time violated the Olympic Charter and Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Explaining the reversal, the IOC said the Russian Olympic Committee no longer counts any regional sports bodies from those Ukrainian territories among its members, and that Russia had confirmed it does not, and will not, carry out any activities in those regions. IOC president Kirsty Coventry defended the move, stressing that the organisation does not support the war but does not believe athletes should be punished for the actions of their government.

She added that with qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Games already underway, it was important for all athletes to be given equal access to competition.

Despite lifting the suspension, the IOC stopped short of a full and unconditional restoration of Russia’s Olympic status. The governing body said it would not organise any Olympic events inside Russia or invite Russian government and state officials to its events, and that a decision on whether Russia can display its flag, colours or anthem at the Games would be made at a later date.

Returning Russian athletes will also be required to meet strict anti-doping requirements, including multiple drug tests, before they are cleared to compete.

Russian athletes have competed only as neutrals in recent years, with 32 taking part at the 2024 Paris Olympics and 20 at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games. Russia last competed at the Olympics under its own flag at the 2016 Rio Games, having since been barred first over state-sponsored doping and later over the invasion of Ukraine. Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev welcomed the IOC’s decision, saying it signalled a green light for international federations to fully reinstate Russian athletes across various sports.

The decision has, however, drawn sharp criticism from Ukraine. Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee said it “strongly disagrees” with the move, describing it as premature and unjustified while Russia’s invasion continues. Some sports federations have already softened their stance on Russian participation, including World Aquatics and World Gymnastics, but others remain firm World Athletics said it would maintain its full ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, citing the ongoing impact of the war on Ukrainian athletes’ ability to train and compete domestically.

Photo Credit: Sportico.Com