IOC temporarily lifts ban on Russian Olympic Committee

• IOC said legal review found ROC no longer includes sports bodies from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
• Russia's Sport Minister welcomed the move, calling it a step toward the full return of Russian athletes.
• IOC has not yet decided whether Russia may compete under its flag, colors, or national anthem at future events.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) on Tuesday, setting the stage for the country's full return to international sports ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The decision, announced by the IOC Executive Board following a thorough compliance review, effectively ends the broad institutional isolation imposed on the Russian sports governing body since late 2023.

Removal of occupied territories 

IOC officials stated that the Executive Board acted upon a detailed analysis compiled by the IOC’s Legal Affairs Commission.

The legal review concluded that the core regulatory violations that triggered the initial October 12, 2023, suspension have been rectified by Moscow.

"The decision was taken following a thorough analysis... considering that the ROC no longer includes as its members any regional sports organisations in territories falling under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine," the IOC stated.

The underlying dispute dates back to the aftermath of Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The IOC penalized the ROC in late 2023 after the Russian body formally recognized regional Olympic councils in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, which the IOC ruled was a direct breach of the Olympic Charter's territorial mandates.

Moscow welcomes 'green light' for athletes

Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev praised the decision on Tuesday, asserting that the administrative resolution should immediately clear all remaining hurdles for Russian competitors across all sports disciplines.

"Our country's return to the Olympic family is a green light for international federations to reinstate all our athletes," Degtyarev said in an official statement.

The institutional breakthrough comes after years of restrictive participation protocols, which forced selected Russian athletes to compete strictly as Individual Neutral Athletes at both the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.

Strict monitoring 

Despite the reinstatement, the IOC emphasized that it maintains a strict oversight policy regarding Moscow's sports operations.

The governing body revealed that the ROC has formally committed to abstaining from any future sports organizing or administrative activity within the contested Ukrainian territories.

The IOC Executive Board warned that it will continue to closely monitor the regional situation and explicitly reserves the right to implement further punitive measures if the ROC breaches its non-interference pledges.

Furthermore, the committee noted that a final decision regarding the use of Russia’s flag, national anthem, or traditional uniform colors during actual competition will be determined separately at a more appropriate time.