On 7 July, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), which had been in effect since October 2023. At the same time, the IOC announced that its previous recommendations to the International Federations restricting the participation of Russian athletes are no longer in force.

The decision does not mean that Russian athletes will automatically return to all international competitions. The International Federations will continue to determine their own eligibility rules and participation criteria for their competitions. The IOC will also make a separate decision at a later stage regarding the use of the Russian flag, national anthem and other national symbols at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

Finnish Olympic Committee regrets the decision

According to Riku Tapio, CEO of the Finnish Olympic Committee, the decision did not come as a surprise, but it is viewed critically in Finland.

– The IOC had already lifted the participation restrictions previously imposed on Belarus, and the amendment to the Olympic Charter adopted in June also paved the way for this decision. “The decision did not come as a surprise to us, but we find it regrettable,” Tapio says.

An amendment to the Olympic Charter laid the groundwork for the decision

The decision is based on an amendment to the Olympic Charter adopted by the IOC Session on 25 June.

A provision was added to the Charter stating that the Olympic Movement and sports organizations must remain politically neutral in all circumstances. At the same time, efforts should be made to ensure that athletes and their support personnel have the opportunity to participate in sports and international competitions regardless of the political situation in their home countries.

According to the IOC, the goal of the decision is to safeguard athletes’ equal right to participate in international competition and to ensure that the Olympic Movement remains politically independent even in a changing geopolitical situation.

The decision was also justified by the fact that the Russian Olympic Committee no longer includes among its members sports organizations from regions under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, nor does it conduct activities in those regions. In addition, the qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2028 Dolomiti Valtellina Youth Winter Olympics are already underway, which, according to the IOC, requires equal access to competition for athletes.

Anti-doping requirements remain strict

The IOC emphasizes that all Russian athletes returning to international competition must continue to comply with strict anti-doping requirements.

Athletes must be part of a testing system overseen by the International Testing Agency (ITA) and must pass several anti-doping tests before returning to international competition. International Federations are responsible for implementing testing programs in their respective sports.

The IOC also stated that its position on Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has not changed. The organization continues to condemn the war and support the Ukrainian Olympic community.

Finnish Olympic Committee: The independence of sport must be safeguarded in the implementation of decisions

According to Riku Tapio, CEO of the Finnish Olympic Committee, the international Olympic movement and sports federations must ensure, in all circumstances, that sport is not used as a tool for political influence or state propaganda.

– Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine continues, and the war’s impact on sports cannot be ignored. The international Olympic Movement and the International Federations must ensure that the independence of sports and the values of Olympism are safeguarded in the implementation of these decisions.

According to Tapio, the Finnish Olympic Committee’s support for Ukraine will remain unchanged.

– Our support for Ukrainian athletes and the entire Ukrainian sports community remains unwavering. Sports should foster peace, mutual respect, and fair competition—not serve as a tool for political influence, Tapio states.

Text translated with the help of AI.

Background Information

The International Olympic Committee makes independent decisions regarding eligibility to participate in the Olympic Games. The Finnish Olympic Committee is not a member of the IOC and does not participate in the IOC’s decision-making process.

Link to the IOC press release: IOC Provisionally Lifts Suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee – Recommendations to International Federations Regarding the Participation of Russian Athletes Are No Longer Applicable

Additional information: 

Riku Tapio, CEO, Finnish Olympic Committee 
Tel. 050 3405550