Russian athletes might compete at 2028 LA Olympics after IOC lifts suspension
· Yahoo Sports
The International Olympic Committee provisionally lifted its three-year suspension on the Russian Olympic Committee, clearing a path for Russian athletes to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The IOC enacted the suspension in 2023 after Russia invaded Ukraine. At the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, Russian athletes who the IOC determined had not publicly supported the war were allowed to compete as neutral athletes but not under the Russian flag.
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On Tuesday, July 7, the IOC announced it would no longer advise Olympic sports bodies to vet Russian athletes for neutrality. The IOC said it will not organize IOC events in Russia or invite Russian government or state officials to its events.
"The IOC will take a decision in relation to the display of the Russian flag, anthem, colours or any identifications for the Olympic Games at the appropriate time," the IOC said in a statement.
The next Olympic event is the 2026 Youth Games in Dakar, Senegal this fall.
Because of Russia's state-sponsored doping scandal that stripped 51 Olympic medals from the country, the IOC said Russian athletes who return to international competition must be drug tested multiple times before their return and continue to meet anti-doping requirements.
In May, the IOC decided to no longer recommend restrictions on participation for athletes from Belarus, which assisted Russia's invasion of Ukraine. On Tuesday, the IOC said it still condemns the invasion of Ukraine.
"The IOC stands in solidarity with the Olympic community of Ukraine, which the Olympic Movement has supported since the beginning of the war, and will continue to do so," the IOC said. "The IOC established a Solidarity Fund for Ukraine so that the athletes have support to overcome the tremendous challenges they continue to face."
FIFA, soccer's global governing body, announced in June that Russian athletes could compete at upcoming U-15 tournaments for boys and girls, but it continues to ban Russia from participating in competitions from the U-17 level up to the senior stage.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Russian athletes might compete at 2028 LA Olympics after IOC lifts suspension