IOC lifts Russia's suspension ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games
The International Olympic Committee’s executive board provisionally lifted the suspension of Russia’s Olympic Committee , a step toward Russian participation at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The ROC was suspended in October 2022 after it absorbed sports organizations from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, violating the Olympic Charter.
The IOC said the ROC has confirmed it no longer includes those bodies and pledged not to operate in occupied territories, and that it will keep monitoring the situation. Crucially, the board has not decided whether Russians may compete under their flag, colors or anthem; the likely outcome is continued neutral status, as at Paris 2024 and the Milano Cortina winter games.
Russia’s sport minister called it “a green light” for international federations to reinstate Russian athletes, while IOC leadership framed it around not making athletes “pay the price” for government actions. The distinction between reinstating the committee and permitting full national representation is where the political friction — particularly with Ukraine — will now concentrate.