Belarus athletes – The IOC says Belarusian athletes should compete under their full national identity, a stance that could reshape how eligibility is handled next.
The IOC has sent a clear message: Belarusian athletes should be allowed to compete again with their full national identity, rather than being assessed for neutral status.
In a statement issued from Lausanne. Misryoum reports that the IOC advised sports governing bodies to let Belarus athletes return as non-neutrals.. The guidance does not yet extend to Russia. but it signals the IOC may be moving toward a more flexible approach to Olympic participation amid the ongoing fallout from the war in Ukraine.
This matters because neutrality rules have shaped not only team selection but also how athletes are treated in major events, with broader consequences for qualification and international competition.
For Belarus and Russia, the last Olympics were different from the familiar framework of flags and national representation.. At the 2024 Paris Games and the February Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. athletes from both countries were required to be approved as neutrals who did not support the conflict.. Misryoum notes that 32 athletes represented the neutrals at Paris. with five medals won. including a gold in trampoline by a Belarusian athlete.
The IOC’s new message comes alongside a separate. still-unresolved issue for Russia: an ongoing World Anti-Doping Agency investigation into recent reports involving Veronika Loginova. an anti-doping official.. Misryoum reports the IOC executive board said it was concerned about the “recent information” being examined by WADA. without naming her.
In this context, sports governance is no longer only about results on the field. Eligibility systems have become entangled with legal and anti-doping processes, creating a far more complex pathway for athletes to compete.
The IOC also linked its comments to the Olympic cycle ahead, stating that the qualification period for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics “starts this summer.” That timing increases the pressure on federations to clarify how they plan to handle entries as qualification ramps up.
Meanwhile, Russia’s situation remains constrained.. The IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee in October 2023, after it incorporated regional sports bodies from illegally occupied eastern Ukraine.. Misryoum reports the IOC said the ROC has had constructive exchanges with the IOC. but the committee remains suspended while the IOC Legal Affairs Commission reviews the matter.
The IOC’s latest stance on Belarus suggests a potential shift toward reducing barriers for athletes, but the road to full reinstatement is still likely to be uneven while suspensions and investigations are still active.
Finally, the IOC reiterated a principle that participation in international sport should not be curtailed by the actions of governments, including involvement in war or conflict, positioning athlete eligibility as the central concern going forward.