International Olympic Committee recommends lifting all restrictions on Russian athletes ahead of 2028 Los Angeles Games
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recommended lifting all restrictions on Russian athletes and has temporarily reinstated the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), the organization announced on its website.
Restrictions on the ROC had been in place since October 2023, imposed after Russia added the Olympic councils of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), along with the annexed Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, to the ROC.
The IOC’s legal affairs commission conducted what it called a “thorough review” before deciding on the ROC. The decision took into account that the ROC no longer includes sports organizations in territories under the jurisdiction of Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee (NOC).
The ROC confirmed that it does not and will not operate in the annexed territories, according to the statement. Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev reported in April that unnamed regional sports organizations had been removed from the ROC.
The IOC did not say how long the restrictions on the ROC would remain lifted. Its Executive Board pledged to monitor the situation closely.
The IOC also lifted all recommendations that Russian athletes compete only under neutral status, along with the “protective measures” attached to them. The organization said all Russian athletes returning to international competition must comply with current anti-doping requirements.
The IOC said it has not yet decided whether Russia can use its flag, anthem, national colors, or other symbols at the Olympic Games. It added that it will not hold its own events in Russia or invite Russian officials to events under its auspices.
The IOC adopted the decisions the previous day, citing the start of qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the “need to ensure equal access to competition for all athletes.”
Russian and Belarusian athletes were barred from international competition following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Athletes from both countries were later permitted to compete under neutral status.
The IOC recommended in May 2026 that Belarus be allowed to return to international sport. At the time, it kept restrictions on Russia in place not because of the war in Ukraine but over doping concerns, sources told The Guardian.
As Meduza previously noted, an IOC recommendation to lift restrictions does not mean automatic admission to competition. Final decisions in each sport will be made by the relevant international federations.
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