International Olympic Committee recommends ending restrictions on Belarusian athletes

All restrictions on athletes and teams from Belarus should be lifted, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said.

Restrictions were imposed on athletes from Belarus and Russia in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which was supported by Belarus.

The restrictions included requiring Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals in international events such as the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The IOC issued a statement on Thursday confirming it was now recommending all sports lift the restrictions.

"As the IOC continues to navigate the ever-increasing complex realities and consequences of the current geopolitical context, including the rising number of wars and conflicts, and amidst growing global instability, it must uphold its mission to preserve a values-based and truly global sporting platform that provides hope to the world," the statement read.

"The IOC reaffirms that athletes' participation in international competition should not be limited by the actions of their governments, including involvement in a war or conflict."

Restrictions on Russia have not yet been lifted, with the IOC explaining in its statement: "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. Whilst the ROC has held constructive exchanges with the IOC on its suspension, it remains suspended while the IOC Legal Affairs Commission continues to review the matter.

"The IOC EB (executive board) also noted with concern the recent information that has led to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) looking into the Russian anti-doping system. The IOC EB would therefore like to obtain a better understanding of this situation."

Some sports have already reinstated Russian and Belarusian athletes, with World Aquatics lifting restrictions last month.

However, World Athletics said it would not be welcoming competitors from either country back into the fold.

A World Athletics spokesperson said: "As a consequence of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, World Athletics sanctions implemented in March 2022 excluding Belarusian and Russian athletes, officials and supporting personnel from competition remain in place.

"Our Council has made a clear decision that when there is tangible movement towards peace negotiations it can begin to review its decisions.

"We all hope this will be soon, but until that happens the Council continues to be united in standing behind the decision it made in March 2022 and revisited in 2023 and 2025."

On April 18, WADA alerted its independent Intelligence and Investigations (I and I) department to the contents of an article published by The Insider that made allegations about the chief executive of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), Veronika Loginova, and the anti-doping system in Russia.

Since December, WADA has been looking into another serious allegation made by a known source, against the same individual at RUSADA.

RUSADA remains non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code, a status it has held since 2020 after WADA uncovered widescale manipulation of data retrieved from the Moscow anti-doping laboratory.

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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 6:51 PM.