The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday provisionally lifted its ban on Russian athletes in global sports, paving the way for the return of Russians at the Olympics as qualification for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles is underway.
Russia has not competed in full capacity at an Olympic Games since the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro; the country was initially banned in 2017 for state-sponsored doping and subsequently for the nation’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. On Tuesday, the IOC Executive Board decided to rescind, with conditions, recommendations it made to member sports federations to exclude Russian athletes from elite competitions.
IOC president Kirsty Coventry told reporters on Tuesday the decision was taken “to ensure all athletes have the possibility to compete at the Olympic Games and not be held responsible for their government’s actions.”
The decision, while a substantial policy change, does not amount to a full reinstatement of Russia into the Olympic world. The IOC said Russian government and state officials will not be invited to Olympic events, nor will Russia be eligible as an event host. James MacLeod, director of National Olympic Committee Relations at the IOC, noted that Tuesday’s decision was deemed provisional due to ongoing territorial disputes from the war, as well as due to the reintegration of Russian athletes into globally accepted anti-doping protocols.
