IOC keeps sanctions on Russian athletes, reinstates Belarus
IOC Executive Board meeting room (Photo: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)
The International
Olympic Committee will keep in place all restrictions on Russian
participation in international sport while continuing a “constructive dialogue”
with Russian officials, the IOC said in a statement
on May 7.
The measures stem from steps taken after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In 2022 the IOC recommended that international sports federations bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from competition. In 2023 the IOC allowed some to compete under a neutral status, without national flag or anthem.
At the same meeting, the IOC recommended that federations fully reinstate Belarus in international sport. The IOC said the situation with the Russian Olympic Committee differs from that of the Belarusian National Olympic Committee, and the Russian body remains suspended.
“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) no longer recommends any restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes, including teams, in competitions governed by International Federations (IFs) and international sports event organisers,” the message said.
The IOC said the Belarusian NOC “has a good reputation” and
“adheres to the Olympic Charter.” It said the Russian Olympic Committee is
“engaging in a constructive dialogue” with the IOC and that the IOC legal
commission continues to review the matter of sanctions against Russians.
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