In a significant policy change announced on Thursday, the International Olympic Committee declared that athletes from Belarus should be allowed to compete under their national identity without undergoing vetting for neutral status, despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This recommendation, which is not mandatory, is a departure from the previous stance taken at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the recent Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, where athletes from Russia and Belarus had to compete as neutrals due to their countries’ involvement in the war.
The IOC emphasized that athletes’ participation in international competitions should not be restricted by the actions of their governments during conflicts or wars. This decision, made in Geneva, comes as preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games are underway, with over 200 national teams expected to participate in more than 350 medal events.
The IOC’s updated position reflects a shift in approach more than four years into the conflict in Ukraine and follows calls for sporting sanctions against Israel due to the situation in Gaza. The IOC, led by President Kirsty Coventry and former President Thomas Bach, has been navigating the complex geopolitical landscape to ensure fair participation in the Olympics.
However, one obstacle hindering the full return of Russian athletes is an ongoing investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency into recent reports implicating a Russian anti-doping agency official, Veronika Loginova. The IOC’s executive board expressed concern over the information being examined by WADA, which could impact the status of Russian athletes in future competitions.
The Russian Olympic Committee has been suspended by the IOC since October 2023 for its involvement in incorporating regional sports bodies in illegally occupied territories. The suspension remains in place while the IOC Legal Affairs Commission continues to review the matter, with no set timeline for completion mentioned by Coventry.
Despite the IOC’s decision, track and field’s World Athletics has maintained its exclusion of athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus from international events since the start of the conflict. The Monaco-based organization indicated that peace negotiations could lead to a review of its decisions in the future.
At previous Olympic Games, neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus have participated and won medals, but with the latest developments, Belarusian athletes can anticipate a return to full national representation at the 2028 Olympics, including marching under their national flag and hearing their anthem played for gold medalists.
The IOC also addressed a doping case involving a Belarusian weightlifter, Yauheni Tsikhantsou, who tested positive for growth hormone. The athlete, who won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, is currently under investigation by the International Testing Agency.
Looking ahead, the IOC provided updates on the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps and the selection of a host for the 2030 Youth Olympic Games. The Winter Games program review will be finalized in June, with restrictions in place to exclude non-snow and ice sports in France. The selection process for the Youth Olympic Games host city has been delayed due to divergent views within the IOC, with Asuncion, Paraguay; Bangkok, Thailand; and Santiago, Chile as the current bidders.
