The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday lifted bans on Russian athletes, allowing them to participate and compete in team events and qualifiers for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
However, the IOC, meeting in Lausanne, retained the bans on the display of the Russian flag and on the playing of the national anthem. They also stated that the Russian athletes would have to clear multiple doping tests before being allowed to participate.
The accompanying statement, laying out a host of conditions, said individual sports could decide whether to allow the flag and anthem at their own events or stage competitions in Russia.
Regarding the Games, which are still two years away, the IOC said it “will take a decision in relation to the display of the Russian flag, anthem, colours or any identifications for the Olympic Games at the appropriate time.”
Russia welcomed the decision, “The IOC is sending a clear signal: the Olympic movement must remain free from politics,” Russian sports minister Mikhail Degtyarev said on Telegram, adding Russia planned to participate in qualifiers for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Compared to Belarus’s return, Russia’s return has far more limitations. The IOC reinstated Belarus in early May without any restrictions on colours or the national anthem.
The IOC said to address “the lack of confidence” after a series of Russian doping scandals, “all athletes newly coming back to international competition must have been tested multiple times prior to their return”.
The ban on Russia was imposed in October 2023, more than 18 months after the nation invaded Ukraine, when the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) made the decision to include sports organisations in annexed territories as members.
“The ROC confirmed that it does not, and will not, conduct any activities in these territories,” said the IOC statement, adding it will “closely monitor the situation”.
The statement added: “The IOC condemns wars, armed conflicts and violence that cause human suffering wherever they occur.”
