The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will not change its position on the restoration of the rights of the Russian Olympic Committee and the lifting of all restrictions on Russian athletes that were in effect after the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine.
An IOC representative said this in a comment to Reuters.
A spokesman for the committee said the decision came after Russia expelled regional sports organizations from the occupied Ukrainian territories, adding that IOC would no longer hold events in Russia or invite Russian government officials.
The committee has yet to make a decision on whether to use Russian flags, colors or the national anthem at future Olympics. The Olympic organization said it had also strengthened its charter. From now on, athletes competing in the Olympic Games will be selected not only on their sporting merits but also on “their ability to be a role model”.
When IOC lifted all restrictions on Russian athletes
Last week, the International Olympic Committee rescinded its 2023 recommendation that Russian and Belarusian athletes participate in international competitions in a neutral status. Since then, each federation has been free to decide whether to maintain sanctions or not.
On July 8, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) lifted all restrictions on Russian athletes, and on July 15, the International Handball Federation (IHF) took the same step. FIFA stated that they would consider the possibility of returning Russian teams to international tournaments.
Nine EU countries opposed the IOCʼs decision. On July 9, they wrote to European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef asking him to exclude the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international federations that allow Russians and Belarusians to compete in international competitions from EU funding programs.
Russian athletes were banned from international competition in February 2022, following the start of Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the time, the International Olympic Committee recommended that sports federations remove Russians from tournaments.
On March 28, 2023, the International Olympic Committee allowed Russians to compete in “neutral” status — without a flag, anthem, or national symbols. The exceptions were active service members of the Russian army and athletes who supported the war. At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Russians and Belarusians were allowed to compete only in individual sports. At this year’s Winter Olympics, 13 “neutral” Russians competed.
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