The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) has provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) that had been in effect since 12 October 2023. The decision was taken following a thorough analysis by the IOC’s Legal Affairs Commission, considering that the ROC no longer includes as its members any regional sports organisations in territories falling under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine. In addition, the ROC confirmed that it does not, and will not, conduct any activities in these territories. The IOC EB will continue to closely monitor the situation relating to any ROC activities in those territories, and reserves the right to take any further measures if deemed necessary.
With the qualification period for both the LA28 Olympic Games and the Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games having started, and the need to offer equal access to these competitions to all athletes, the IOC EB decided that its recommended conditions of participation for International Federations (IFs) and international sports event organisers of 28 February 2022 and 28 March 2023 as they relate to Russian athletes and teams, including the protective measures, are no longer applicable.
In accordance with the Olympic Charter, and as applicable to all NOCs in general when selecting the athletes participating in the Olympic Games, the ROC must ensure that Russian athletes’ “selection [for the Olympic Games] shall be based not only on their sports performance, but also on their ability to serve as role models who respect, uphold and promote a peaceful society through sport as set forth in the Olympic Charter.” (Bye-law 2.1 to Rules 27 and 28).
