IOC Provisionally Lifts Ban On Russian Athletes Amid War In Ukraine

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On July 7, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board announced that it had “provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee” after finding that the “ROC no longer includes as its members any regional sports organisations in territories falling under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.” The IOC EB added that it would “continue to closely monitor the situation relating to any ROC activities.” The IOC EB’s statement also said that it “decided that its recommended conditions of participation for International Federations and international sports event organisers of 28 February 2022 and 28 March 2023 as they relate to Russian athletes and teams, including the protective measures, are no longer applicable.” The statement concluded that the “decision on whether to host events and sports competitions in Russia, to invite Russian government or state officials to competitions, or to allow the display of the Russian flag, anthem, colours, or any other identifications, is at the discretion of each IF and international sports event organiser.” The IOC EB noted, however, that the IOC would not organize events in Russia, nor would it invite Russian government or state officials to IOC events.

Following the IOC EB announcement, IOC President Kirsty Coventry spoke at a press conference. During the event, she said that the IOC does not “condone any wars,” including Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She then stated that she does not “believe [that] athletes should pay the price,” noting that the IOC does not “want to hold athletes accountable for the actions of their government.”

In response, the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine issued a statement saying it “strongly disagrees” with the IOC EB. The Ukrainians argued that the IOC’s decision was “premature, unjustified, and adopted without due regard to the objective circumstances, which remain unchanged: the Russian Federation continues its full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, the IOC’s decision to provisionally lift restrictions on Russia was welcomed by Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev. In a Telegram post, Degtyarev said that Russia’s “return to the Olympic family [was] a green light for international federations to reinstate all [Russian] athletes.” He added that the “Olympic movement must remain outside [of] politics.”

The timing of the IOC’s announcement on July 7 came just a day after the Russian Federation launched a missile and drone attack on Kyiv. AP News reported that at least 22 people were killed in the bombardment. The news outlet added that Russia also launched an attack on Kyiv earlier this month, on July 2, in which 31 people were killed.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, countries and organizations around the world came together to impose penalties on the Russian Federation for starting the war. Some restrictions were also imposed on Belarus. One of these organizations was the IOC, which initially ruled that Russian and Belarusian athletes would be unable to participate in the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games and, subsequently, in future IOC events. Then, in October 2023, the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee after the Russian Federation recognized regional Olympic councils in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, specifically Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

Other sports organizations and communities also imposed restrictions on Russia and Belarus. Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, FIFA, the global international football (soccer) organization, and UEFA, the European governing body of football, stated that Russian men’s and women’s national teams as well as Russian clubs could not participate in international competitions and qualifications. Meanwhile, the World Athletics Council banned all athletes from Russia and Belarus. Furthermore, the World Baseball Softball Confederation stated that no Russian or Belarusian athletes or officials would be invited or allowed to participate in international competitions. Similarly, the International Basketball Federation announced that Russian teams and officials could not participate in FIBA Basketball and 3x3 Basketball competitions. Additionally, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced that Russian and Belarusian international teams and clubs would be suspended from IIHF competitions and events. Several other sports communities, such as archery, canoeing, rowing, sailing, skiing, and volleyball, imposed penalties on Russia and Belarus as well.

But as the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues, the IOC and its sister organization, the International Paralympic Committee, eased restrictions. In 2024, the IOC and IPC announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes would be allowed to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics and 2024 Summer Paralympics, although as neutral athletes, meaning Russian and Belarusian flags, colors, and insignia could not be displayed. The IPC then lifted restrictions on Russia and Belarus in September 2025, meaning sportsmen and women from these two countries would be allowed to participate fully at the 2026 Winter Paralympics. Then, in May of this year, the IOC lifted restrictions on Belarusian athletes. Now, the IOC has provisionally lifted restrictions on Russia.

The IOC and IPC are not the only sports organizations that have eased restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes during the war. In November 2025, the International Judo Federation, the International Sambo Federation, and the European Gymnastics General Assembly all lifted their restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes, allowing them to participate in their respective sports events and competitions.

Supporters of easing restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes have argued that preventing these sportsmen and women from participating in various sporting events hinders their development and careers, as they are unable to compete against athletes from other countries, who would otherwise provide them with exposure and experience. Others state that politics and sports should be separated, as the athletes are not responsible for the actions of their governments. Finally, some claim that restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes have not swayed the Russian government’s decision to end the fighting in Ukraine.

Despite these claims, international organizations, government officials, and sports organizations have spoken out against the IOC for provisionally lifting restrictions on Russia. Athlete-led advocacy group Global Athlete and FairSport issued a joint statement proclaiming that the IOC’s decision “represents a fundamental departure from the principles of Olympism.” Elsewhere, Zaineb Al-Samarai, the President of the Norwegian Olympic Committee, said that Norway “has maintained a clear position against Russian and Belarusian participation in international sport,” adding that Norway disagrees with the IOC’s decision. Similarly, Hans von Uthmann, the Chairman of Sweden’s Olympic Committee, believed the IOC’s announcement was wrong, arguing that the “situation in Ukraine has not changed.”

Meanwhile, Lisa Nandy, the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, was “appalled” by the IOC’s decision, adding that the “Russian state should not be represented in international sport while the illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues.” Similarly, Canadian Secretary of Sport Adam van Koeverden, who is a former Olympian, said he was “appalled by the IOC’s decision,” adding that the “countries of Russia and Belarus should not be represented in international sports competitions while Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable full-scale invasion against Ukraine continues.” In addition, U.S. Republican and Democrat elected officials criticized the IOC for allowing the ROC back into the Olympic community. The decision also drew criticism from European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef, who said that “sport cannot become a back door for normalizing aggression.” Finally, Estonian Culture Minister Heidy Purga and Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže also criticized the IOC’s decision.

The IOC’s announcement to provisionally lift restrictions on Russian sportsmen and women now sets the stage for how future events may unfold in the Olympic community. When the IPC lifted restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes ahead of the 2026 Winter Paralympics, 16 countries boycotted the Paralympics opening ceremony. It remains to be seen whether similar actions will be taken by elected officials and athletes at future IOC events ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics and 2028 Summer Paralympics, and what consequences they would face should this continue.

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