Olympic Committee Eases Restrictions on Russian Athletes Ahead of LA 2028 Summer Games

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally lifted its ban on the Russian ​Olympic Committee (ROC) on Tuesday, which required vetting of athletes and had been in effect since October 2023.

The Decision: The IOC prominently said its decision comes as "the ROC no longer includes as its members any regional sports organizations in territories falling under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine." It added that ROC "confirmed that it does not, and will not, conduct any activities in these territories." The IOC also said qualifying competitions for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are starting, and the committee needs "to offer equal access to these competitions to all athletes." The IOC has still not determined whether Russian athletes will be allowed to compete for their country under its flag.

Split Reporting: The New York Post (Right) said the IOC "will continue vetting Russian athletes seeking Olympic eligibility, including reviewing public statements and social media activity to ensure they have not publicly supported the war or maintained ties to Russia's military or security services." Associated Press (Lean Left bias) said the move ends "a three-year program where Russian athletes had to be vetted for permission to compete as neutrals." The IOC's announcement said the previous recommendations made on "28 March 2023 as they relate to Russian athletes and teams, including the protective measures, are no longer applicable."

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Key Quotes: IOC President and two-time Zimbabwean gold medalist Kirsty Coventry said at an online news conference, "We don't want to hold athletes accountable for the actions of their governments." She added, "I wouldn't be sitting here if I had to pay the price when my country was going through things and being sanctioned." Ukraine's sport minister Matvii Bidnyi told Associated Press that Ukraine doesn't understand the decision because "nothing changed" and Ukraine's situation "became even worse." Russian sport minister Mikhail Degtyarev said, "Our country's return to the Olympic family is a green light for international federations to reinstate all our athletes."

For Context: In the 2024 and 2026 Olympics, Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to compete as neutral individual athletes, provided they passed the IOC's vetting requirements. In 2024, 32 athletes competed from the two countries, while in 2026, just 20 competed. Athletes from both countries were not allowed to participate in team sporting events. In May, the IOC provisionally lifted its ban on Belarusian athletes. Last week, top Russian hockey players, including NHL stars, faced off against a team of American players in Moscow.

World Cup Report: Sky News (Lean Left) reported that FIFA is now discussing lifting its ban on Russia, which hasn't competed in the World Cup since it hosted it in 2018.

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Media Perspectives: ZeroHedge (Lean Right) opened its coverage by saying the move is "another sign of war fatigue in the West, and perhaps amid greater realization that 'punishing' the Russian people is having no real effect on the course of the Ukraine war." In an opinion for The Athletic, the sports division of The New York Times (Lean Left), Barry Svrugla wrote, "In stepping back on its ban on Russian athletes because of the Russian government's aggression, the IOC didn't right a past wrong. It did, however, clear the way to avoid such decisions in the future, with Los Angeles – and an unpredictable American government – next on the calendar."

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