International Olympic Committee Rescinds Restrictions on Belarus Athletes
The International Olympic Committee on Friday said that it no longer recommends sports governing bodies to restrict the participation of athletes from Belarus.
The IOC made the announcement from its Executive Board. It had, in February 2022 and March 2023, recommended barring participation of Belarussian athletes for the country’s role in supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Participation of athletes remains in the hands of international sporting federations, and the IOC guidance is only a suggestion. Some federations have allowed not just Belarussian but Russian athletes to compete for months or year, with or without conditions.
World Aquatics last month said it would allow Russian and Belarussian athletes to compete again for their countries, with full national regalia (flags, anthems, etc.) allowed. Several countries have resisted that call, and European Aquatics has moved to delay the reintegration of those athletes. Restrictions on youth athletes had been eased by World Aquatics in December.
Belarussian athletes have competed as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and the Milan Cortina Games in 2026, and the IOC cites the lack of incidents as part of the justification for Friday’s decision.
The decision is tied to the start of the qualification period for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which begins this year. Athletes will require time to return to the anti-doping testing pool. (World Aquatics specifically cited four successive anti-doping controls passed via the International Testing Agency as a requisite to return to competition.)
As for the Russian question, the IOC says:
The situation relating to the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is different from that relating to the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus. The NOC of Belarus is in good standing and complies with the Olympic Charter. Whilst the ROC has held constructive exchanges with the IOC on its suspension, it remains suspended while the IOC Legal Affairs Commission continues to review the matter.
