Triathlon Follows IOC's Lead: Russian Relay Teams Approved for Competition

As Russia's return to the international sports stage for events such as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics gains momentum following the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to lift sanctions, World Triathlon has also eased restrictions on Russian athletes participating in team events.

According to major foreign media outlets including TASS, the World Triathlon Executive Board has relaxed its regulations to allow Russian athletes to compete in mixed relay team events as neutral athletes.

Previously, the federation had limitedly permitted Russian junior and youth athletes to compete in individual international events. With this latest decision, a path has opened for Russia to participate in all federation-sanctioned team competitions, including mixed relays.

Ksenia Shoigu, President of the Russian Triathlon Federation, stated, "We will continue to work toward regaining our flag and national anthem and restoring our full eligibility."

With the IOC recently lifting the ban on Russia and Belarus, numerous sports federations, including triathlon, are successively easing regulations on the participation of Russian athletes in international competitions.

The IOC provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) on July 7.

However, despite this measure, the use of the Russian national name and flag remains prohibited, and athletes must continue to compete under strict neutral status requirements.

(Photo: Captured from IOC website, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.