The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee that had been in effect since October 2023.
"We don't want to hold athletes accountable for the actions of their governments," said IOC President Kirsty Coventry.
Coventry said the IOC would maintain its decision not to organize international sporting events in Russia and would review protocols concerning the anthem and flag in the future.
The IOC Executive Board (EB) recommended on Feb. 28, 2022 that international federations (IFs) ban Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from competing in events. On March 28, 2023, the IOC decided that athletes holding Russian or Belarusian passports could participate as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) in international sporting events, including the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. No flags, anthems or other national symbols were permitted at international sporting events.
On May 7, 2026, the IOC EB announced that it no longer recommended any restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes.
"For now, we thought that it was really important for athletes to have the possibility of returning to competition," Coventry added.
The IOC reaffirmed its commitment to its "Fit for the Future" initiative, emphasizing the fundamental right of athletes to access sport and compete free from political interference or government pressure. The principle was endorsed by the EB in September 2025 and reaffirmed at the Olympic Summit in December 2025.
"We are very confident in the fair and safe environment in sport that we want to be able to provide," she explained. "That's where the additional measures that we have put into place in and around, ensuring that athletes from Russia have been tested adequately before they come back into any sports programs."
All Russian athletes returning to international competition must meet relevant anti-doping requirements, particularly those set out in the anti-doping rules of the IOC and IFs, the IOC announced.
IOC Sports Director Pierre Ducrey said the IOC had held a call with all IFs to explain the decision. "I would say the proposals we put forward to the EB were not surprised to the IFs," he said.
"The International Federations remain autonomous, and they are allowed to make their own decisions," Coventry added.
(Source: Xinhua)
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