Lviv, Ukraine, July 8 (EFE).- Ukrainian athletes and officials condemned on Wednesday the IOC’s decision to lift its ban on the Russian Olympic Committee and cancel regulations that had limited Russian athletes’ access to the Games due to the invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), which was banned in 2016 due to a doping scandal and later over the invasion, has been provisionally reinstated after the IOC Executive Committee ruled that the ROC no longer includes sporting bodies from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.
The decision effectively paves the way for hundreds of Russian athletes to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics now that individual sports federations are no longer advised to veto those who have publicly supported the invasion.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry has said the decision aims to ensure athletes are not held responsible for their governments’ actions. It remains unclear whether the athletes will be able to participate under the Russian flag in Los Angeles, with the IOC stating the decision will be made “at the appropriate time”.
Backlash in Ukraine
