Lausanne, Switzerland. The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, a move that advances Russia’s reintegration into international sport ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The decision allows Russian athletes to return to many international competitions, including LA28 Olympic qualifiers.
Suspension lifted after 2023 ban
The Russian Olympic Committee was suspended in October 2023 after it recognised regional Olympic councils in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine: Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
The suspension followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
IOC position on athletes and participation
The IOC said its executive board lifted the suspension on Tuesday but has not yet decided whether Russia will be permitted to display its flag and colours or have its anthem played at the Games.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said at a press conference that the organisation does not condone war and would continue supporting Ukraine, but said athletes should not be held responsible for the actions of their government.
Coventry said the decision reflected the IOC’s position that all athletes should have the possibility to compete at the Olympic Games and that it was important for Russian athletes to have access to sports competitions.
Broader return to international sport
The decision is the latest step by the IOC to ease Russia’s return to international sport after it urged federations in December to readmit Russian and Belarusian youth athletes under 23.
Russian sports minister Mikhail Degtyarev said the IOC’s decision should clear the way for Russian athletes to make a full return to the international sporting stage.
He said Russia’s return to the Olympic family was a green light for international federations to reinstate all Russian athletes.
Reaction from Ukraine
Russian athletes competed as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry criticised the decision as troubling and urged countries hosting competitions to uphold a ban on Russian state symbols.