IOC lifts Olympic ban on Belarus but Russia ‘still suspended’
LUASANNE: The IOC on Thursday lifted its ban on Belarusian athletes competing in the Olympics, although restrictions on Russian athletes remain in place. Competitors from Russia and their allies Belarus had been banned from international competition following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, although some were permitted to compete as neutrals. Russians will still only be able to compete in Olympic competition under the neutral banner, on an individual basis, and only if they have not actively supported the conflict. The IOC executive board released a statement saying that it “no longer recommends any restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes, including teams.” “The IOC reaffirms that athletes’ participation in international competition should not be limited by the actions of their governments, including involvement in a war or conflict,” it said. This new policy should allow for a Belarusian delegation to compete at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028, when they will be present at the opening ceremony and included in the medals table. The IOC said that the timing of the statement recognized that the qualification period for the 2028 Games begins this (northern hemisphere) summer. “On behalf of the entire Belarusian sporting public, we express our gratitude to IOC President Kirsty Coventry for her balanced and principled stance,” said the Belarusian Olympic Committee. “We are firmly convinced that sport is called to serve as a unifying force and must remain an arena free from political influence,” said the statement adding that Belarus hoped the decision “will become a defining benchmark for international sports federations, which will, in the shortest possible time, lift all restrictions on