The International Olympic Committee (IOC) no longer recommends imposing restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes and teams in international competitions, according to the IOC website. This was reported by Village and cited by the Prompolitinform portal.
The organization’s Executive Board has lifted the participation conditions that were introduced in 2022 and 2023. The decision is motivated by the belief that athletes’ right to access sport should not depend on political pressure or the actions of governments, including involvement in wars or conflicts.
The organization emphasizes that in recent years Belarusian athletes have participated in numerous tournaments and Olympic Games as neutral athletes without any incidents. In addition, qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games will begin this summer.
At the same time, restrictions remain in force for athletes with Russian passports. The IOC notes that the situation with the Russian Olympic Committee is different: an investigation into Russia’s anti-doping system is currently ongoing, therefore the organization remains suspended.
Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified before the first run of the 2026 Olympics. This happened because of his helmet, which features Ukrainian athletes who died as a result of the Russian invasion. The IOC believes that the athlete’s helmet does not comply with the rules on “athletes’ expression.”
Photo: olympics.com
