Joe Krishnan

The International Olympic Committee provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, allowing the possibility of Russian athletes competing under their national flag at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The decision follows confirmation that the ROC no longer oversees sports bodies in Ukrainian territories. Russia welcomed the ruling while the IOC reaffirmed its opposition to the invasion of Ukraine but maintained that athletes should not be penalized for government actions. Recent precedents include neutral participation at the 2026 Winter Olympics and limited athlete involvement at the 2024 Paris Games, where Russians won significantly fewer medals compared to Tokyo 2021.