World Gymnastics has decided to remove all restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes, allowing them to participate in international competitions under their respective national flags starting immediately. This decision comes after both nations were initially barred following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022. While they were allowed to compete as neutral participants from late 2024, various sports bodies have recently relaxed their restrictions. World Aquatics, for instance, terminated its neutral status guidelines in April, enabling senior Russian and Belarusian swimmers to showcase their national colors and anthems. Similarly, United World Wrestling reinstated both countries in all age categories just last week.
The lifting of restrictions applies to all five disciplines overseen by World Gymnastics, including artistic, rhythmic, acrobatic, aerobic gymnastics, and trampolining. Russia has a strong history in gymnastics, securing two gold medals and a total of 10 medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics under the Russian Olympic Committee banner. However, they faced a ban from the 2024 Paris Games.
World Gymnastics has not yet provided a comment in response to inquiries about this decision.
