IOC lifts Russia suspension, clearing nation's return to 2028 Olympics
The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday provisionally lifted its ban on Russia competing as a nation, clearing the country to send a team to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Russia has been banned from the Games since 2023 over its invasion of Ukraine and had faced other sanctions dating back to 2016 over its state-sponsored doping program revealed at the 2014 Winter Olympics, held in Sochi, Russia. Since 2023, Russian athletes have been able to participate at international competitions only as neutral athletes. In cycling, Russia was not able to field national teams at World Championships, track World Cups or other events contested by national teams, nor were Russian-registered pro teams allowed to compete in UCI-sanctioned events. Now, Russia will be able to field teams, but decisions on its flag, anthem and other national identifiers are yet to be decided.
It's not clear what precipitated the IOC's shift. IOC president Kirsty Coventry rejected criticism that the decision validates the invasion, but the war in Ukraine has entered its fifth full year and shows no signs of an end as Russia continues to press its attack despite suffering massive losses amid a largely stalled offensive. Ukraine's foreign ministry criticized the decision, noting that IOC-recognized governing bodies (the UCI is one) can still make independent decisions about eligibility. "We also call on international sports federations to maintain the existing restrictions on representatives of the aggressor state, in line with their commitment to protecting the integrity and values of international sport," the ministry said in a message on social media.
