Russia to Compete in LA Olympics as IOC Lifts Suspension

▲ Headquarters of the Russian Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has lifted the suspension imposed on Russia following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

As a result, Russian athletes will be able to participate normally starting from the qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

According to reports from Reuters and other media outlets, the IOC announced on July 7 (local time) that it is provisionally lifting the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), stating that it "has taken into account that the ROC no longer has any sports organizations under its authority in the regions under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine."

Russia was suspended by the IOC in October 2023 for unilaterally incorporating the regional Olympic committees of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—territories occupied during the war—into its own organization.

Consequently, Russian athletes participated in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics earlier this year as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) after undergoing a separate vetting process, and they were barred from competing in team events.

However, the IOC stated that it would decide at an appropriate time whether to allow the use of the national flag, anthem, national colors, or any other identification representing Russia.

The IOC also imposed a condition that all Russian athletes returning to international competition must undergo multiple doping tests.

Even before the war in Ukraine, Russia had been under IOC sanctions due to allegations of state-sponsored doping manipulation.

Because of this, Russian athletes competed under designations such as Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics through the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

The IOC had also previously sanctioned Belarus, including a ban on participation for its support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but lifted all such measures this past May.

The IOC stated, "We have taken a very clear stance against the invasion (of Ukraine by Russia) and have strongly condemned it. This position remains unchanged," adding, "In times of increasing instability and division around the world, we remain committed to promoting peace between people and nations through sport."

Mikhail Degtyarev, the Russian Minister of Sport, welcomed the decision, saying, "The return of our country to the Olympic family is a green light for international sports federations to allow our athletes to return."

(Photo: Yonhap News)

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