Russia Cleared for 2028 Olympics as IOC Lifts Suspension, Ukraine Furious
The International Olympic Committee has lifted Russia's suspension, clearing the way for the country to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, despite strong objections from Ukraine [191045][191548]. The decision reverses the ban imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and comes as a separate conflict emerges with the International Athletics Federation, which is refusing to follow the IOC’s lead [192208].
The IOC provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee on Tuesday, allowing Russian athletes and teams to move closer to competing under their national flag and anthem at the LA Games [191548]. During the 2024 Paris Summer Games and this year’s Milano Cortina Winter Games, only a small number of Russian athletes took part, competing as “authorized neutral athletes” after passing an IOC vetting process that checked for any public support of the war [191045]. It remains unclear whether Russian athletes will be allowed to use the national flag or anthem at the 2028 Olympics [191045].
However, the International Athletics Federation (WA) is not welcoming Russian athletes back, setting the stage for a conflict ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics in two years [192208].