Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Olympics
Football
Netball
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Full Noise by SN
Olympic chiefs lift restrictions on Belarusian athletes
Reuters • May 8th, 2026 4:30 am
Olympic chiefs, under IOC president Kirsty Coventry, have lifted restrictions on Belarus athletes | Photo: EPA
The International Olympic Committee has lifted all restrictions on Belarusian athletes, clearing the way for their return to international competitions, including at qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
The IOC have recommended since 2022 that Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials be banned from events following the invasion of Ukraine. Belarus was used as a staging ground for the Russian 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 on Thursday.
It means athletes from Belarus can now freely compete under their own flag and anthem, including in team sports. They can also take part in all qualifying events, starting later this year for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Vladyslav Heraskevych on why it's not so simple to keep politics out of sports | Sport Nation
At both the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, just a handful of Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to compete, in individual events only and as neutral athletes without their flag.
But the IOC said the lifting of restrictions would not apply to Russian athletes. There has been increased speculation a similar decision could be made for Russia in the coming months.
"The situation relating to the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is different from that relating to the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus. The NOC of Belarus is in good standing and complies with the Olympic Charter," the IOC said.
Russia's Olympic committee 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.
