Ukraine appeal IOC decision to reinstate Russia
BBC Sport · C · trust 52/100
Ukraine's National Olympic Committee has launched an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the International Olympic Committee's decision to provisionally reinstate Russia to its competitions.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in 2023 in response to the war in Ukraine but lifted the ban on 7 July 2026, stating it was "no longer applicable" , external .
That decision opens the door for Russian athletes to compete for their country at the 2028 Olympic Games and is the latest step in the country's reinstatement to international competition, with the IOC previously recommending in December 2025 that federations readmit Russian and Belarusian Under-23 athletes.
However, the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine said the IOC's decision is "premature" and "violates" the Olympic Charter.
"The position of the NOC of Ukraine is based on the fact that the IOC's decision was made prematurely and without proper verification of whether the violations - which led to the suspension of the ROC following the appeal by the NOC of Ukraine on October 6, 2023 - had actually been resolved," an NOC statement said.
Published 7 July "The NOC of Ukraine also points out that as early as 2024, the Cas [Court of Arbitration for Sport] confirmed the legality of the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, recognising that the inclusion of sports organisations from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine and the provisions of the Olympic Charter," it continued.
"For this reason, the Ukrainian side believes that reinstating the ROC's rights without effectively addressing these violations is incompatible with the principles of international sports law and sets a dangerous precedent for the entire Olympic Movement."
Russian and Belarusian athletes competed as neutrals at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
Russia remain banned by world football's governing body Fifa, while in May , World Athletics rejected a recommendation by the IOC to lift the ban on Belarusian athletes and teams.
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