The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday, July 8, provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), nearly three years after it was banned for bringing sports organisations from occupied Ukrainian territories into its membership.
The IOC said the decision followed a review by its Legal Affairs Commission, which found that the ROC no longer includes those organisations as members. It also noted that the ROC had confirmed it would not carry out any sporting activities in territories that fall under the jurisdiction of Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee (NOC).
The IOC stressed that the decision has nothing to do with Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and does not change its stance on the war. It said it continues to strongly condemn the invasion and remains committed to supporting Ukraine’s Olympic community.
WHY THE BAN WAS LIFTED
The ROC was suspended in October 2023 after it recognised sports organisations from the occupied Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as its members.
At the time, the IOC said the move violated the Olympic Charter because those regions fall under the authority of Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee.
The IOC said the suspension has now been lifted because the ROC has removed those organisations from its membership and confirmed that it will not operate in those territories.
The governing body said the decision was based on the ROC meeting those conditions and was not linked to the war itself.
IOC STANCE ON UKRAINE
The IOC made it clear that its position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not changed.
It said it continues to condemn the war and stands in solidarity with Ukraine’s Olympic community.
The IOC also said it will continue to support Ukrainian athletes through funding, training opportunities, travel assistance, accommodation and equipment. It added that these programmes helped Ukrainian athletes compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
FLAG DECISION YET TO BE MADE
Although the ROC’s suspension has been lifted, Russia’s return to the Olympic movement is not complete.
The IOC said it will not organise Olympic events in Russia or invite Russian government or state officials to IOC events.
It also said it has not yet decided whether Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under the country’s flag, anthem or other national symbols at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. That decision will be taken at a later stage.
For other international competitions, the decision on whether to allow the Russian flag or host events in Russia will be left to the respective International Federations (IFs) and event organisers.
STRICT RULES FOR ATHLETES
The IOC also said its recommendations issued in 2022 and 2023 restricting the participation of Russian athletes and teams are no longer in effect, with qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and the 2028 Winter Youth Olympics already underway.
However, Russian athletes must still meet strict anti-doping rules before they can return to international competition.
The IOC said athletes must be part of an anti-doping programme overseen by the International Testing Agency (ITA) and undergo multiple tests before competing.
If the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) is still considered non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics, the IOC said the ITA will independently oversee testing for all qualified Russian athletes.
The IOC added that Russian athletes selected for the Olympics must also meet the standards of the Olympic Charter, which says athletes should promote the values of peace and respect through sport.
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