After more than four years of adopting a six-point resolution, including the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from sports competitions, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) adopted a new position this week, with the Executive Commission now recommending lifting restrictions on the participation of Belarusian competitors.
At its recent meeting on May 6 and 7, 2026 at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, the IOC Executive Commission began the return of Belarusian athletes to the international sports scene.
This change comes more than four years after the adoption of a six-point resolution by the Commission, in which the Olympic body expressly recommended to federations and sports event organizers not to invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.
Since then, new recommendations were initiated in the spring of 2023, and only a few athletes were ultimately authorized to compete under a neutral flag and without national symbols and anthems, both at the Paris 2024 Games and the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
As justified by the IOC on May 7, the participation of athletes in major competitions should not be contingent on their governments’ actions.
This point may raise questions given the IOC’s previous stance, but it reflects the IOC’s case-by-case approach.
In its communication following this week’s Executive Commission meeting, the IOC noted that since 2023, Belarusian athletes have been able to participate in sports events as Independent Neutral Athletes (INA) without any incidents during or outside the competition.
Therefore, by recommending the lifting of restrictions on Belarusian athletes’ participation – both individual and team – the institution paves the way for their involvement in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and the Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 Youth Olympic Winter Games, two major events with qualifying periods starting this summer.
The recommendation made this week to international organizers and federations, who can still oppose it, does not apply to Russian athletes who currently remain subject to restrictions imposed after the 2022 Beijing Winter Games and renewed since then.
In this regard, the IOC Executive Commission deems that the situation of the Russian Olympic Committee differs from that of the Belarusian Olympic Committee.
The institution stated:
The National Olympic Committee of Belarus is compliant and adheres to the Olympic Charter.
Despite constructive exchanges between the Russian Olympic Committee and the IOC regarding its suspension, it remains suspended, while the IOC Legal Affairs Commission continues to examine the case.
The IOC Executive Commission also expressed concerns following recent information that led the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to review the Russian anti-doping system.
In this context, the IOC Executive Commission seeks further information to better understand the situation.
Beyond geopolitics, the continuing problematic behavior of the Russian Olympic Committee, both in governance and anti-doping commitments, remains a concern more than ten years after the doping scandal during the Sochi 2014 Games.
However, depending on future developments and ongoing discussions, the reintroduction of Russian athletes may also occur before the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
These would be the first Games where Belarusian and Russian athletes could participate since the 2022 Beijing Games.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the IOC will push for the return of Russia to a previous format, as seen at the 2018 PyeongChang Games with the adoption of sanctions in response to the state-sponsored doping scandal.
While awaiting potential changes regarding the Russian issue, the IOC is likely to face criticism for its geopolitical stance, as it maintains the freedom to address issues on a case-by-case basis.
In fact, amid criticisms directed at the IOC in 2023, former IOC President Thomas Bach denounced governments’ hypocrisy.
It is regrettable to see that governments do not want to respect the will of the majority of Olympic Movement stakeholders, nor the autonomy of sport.
It is regrettable to see these governments not addressing the issue of double standards.
We have not seen a single comment on their attitude towards the participation of athletes from the 70 other war-torn and conflict-ridden countries worldwide.
This statement may remain relevant today.
