International Olympic Committee lifts restrictions on Belarusian athletes

The International Olympic Committee on Thursday has lifted all restrictions on Belarusian athletes, clearing the way for their return to international competitions, including qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The IOC had recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials be banned from events since 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Belarus was used as a staging ground for the invasion.

"The IOC Executive Board no longer recommends any restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes, including teams, in competitions governed by International Federations and international sports event organisers," the Olympic body said in a statement.

The lifting of restrictions should clear the way for athletes from Belarus to compete under their own flag and anthem, including in team sports, and take part in qualifying events later this year for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Yet the global governing body of athletics said its sanctions against Belarusian athletes would remain.

"As a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, World Athletics sanctions implemented in March 2022, excluding Belarusian and Russian athletes, officials, and supporting personnel from competition, remain in place," a World Athletics spokesperson said.

"Our Council has made a clear decision that when there is tangible movement towards peace negotiations, it can begin to review its decisions. We all hope this will be soon, but until that happens the Council continues to be united in standing behind the decision it made in March 2022 and revisited in 2023 and 2025."

Belarus' Foreign Ministry and its National Olympic Committee welcomed the ruling, saying justice had taken its course.

"The right to participate in international tournaments and the Olympic Games with the national flag and anthem has been restored," state news agency BelTA quoted the foreign ministry as saying. 'A consistent line, insisting on athletes' rights, has produced a logical result."

The National Olympic Committee expressed gratitude to IOC President Kirsty Coventry for her "balanced and principled position" and described the outcome as "a long-awaited event for every athlete in our country".

Ukraine's Olympic committee protested the decision, saying it contradicted fundamental principles of justice, responsibility and Olympic values.

"The territory of Belarus is used to launch missiles and attack drones at Ukrainian cities, as well as for military logistics and support for the Russian army," it said in a statement.

"In the military and humanitarian context, there have been no changes that could serve as grounds for the return of representatives of Belarus to international sport under national symbols."

RESTRICTIONS REMAIN FOR RUSSIAN ATHLETES

At both the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, only a handful of carefully vetted Russian and Belarusian athletes, with no links to the military or the war, were allowed to compete, in individual events only and as neutral athletes without their flag.

The IOC urged federations in December 2025 to readmit Russian and Belarusian youth athletes (under-23s) to international events without restrictions, in a first clear step towards easing sanctions.

The IOC said the lifting of restrictions would not apply to Russian athletes. There has been increased speculation that a similar decision could be made for Russia in coming months.

The Olympic body said its legal affairs commission was reviewing information regarding the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) while also examining the country's anti-doping system, with ongoing investigations by the World Anti-Doping Agency a concern.

Coventry said there had been "constructive discussions" with the ROC but there were outstanding issues.

"Our remit is sport and we have to figure out what it means," Coventry told a press conference. "We want all athletes to be able to participate. I believe this decision shows that."

As for Russia, she said there was no specific timeline regarding a potential decision for an unrestricted return to international sport.

"We have, as an organisation, to listen to all sides of the story and that is why we are where we are," Coventry said.

The ROC was suspended in October 2023 for recognising regional Olympic councils for Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine - Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia - following Russia's invasion.

The IOC said at the time this had violated the Olympic Charter and the territorial integrity of Ukraine’s Olympic Committee.