IOC eases restrictions on Russians before 2028 as anthem, flag ban remains

A picture of the logo of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in Moscow. [Kirill Kudrayvtsev, AFP]

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday lifted restrictions on Russian athletes, allowing them to compete in team events and in qualifying competitions for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

However, the IOC, meeting in Lausanne, kept in place the ban on the Russian national anthem being played and the flag being displayed, for the time being, but stipulated returning Russian athletes would have to pass "multiple" doping tests before being allowed to participate.

The accompanying statement, laying out a host of conditions, said individual sports could decide whether to allow the flag and anthem at their own events or stage competitions in Russia.

As for the Games, with the Los Angeles Olympics two years away, the IOC said it "will take a decision in relation to the display of the Russian flag, anthem, colours or any identifications for the Olympic Games at the appropriate time."

Russia welcomed the decision.

"The IOC is sending a clear signal: the Olympic movement must remain free from politics," Russian sports minister Mikhail Degtyarev said on Telegram, adding Russia planned to participate in qualifiers for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Russia's return remains more limited than that of Belarus, which was allowed back by the IOC in early May without any restrictions on national anthem or colours.

The IOC said to address "the lack of confidence" after a series of Russian doping scandals, "all athletes newly coming back to international competition must have been tested multiple times prior to their return".

The ban was imposed in October 2023, more than 18 months after the invasion of Ukraine, when the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) decided to include sports organisations in annexed territories as members.

"The ROC confirmed that it does not, and will not, conduct any activities in these territories," said the IOC statement adding it will "closely monitor the situation".

The statement added: "The IOC condemns wars, armed conflicts and violence that cause human suffering wherever they occur."