Russia's Olympic ban has been lifted — leaving Russian athletes to compete at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.This follows Russian doping scandals and the invasion of Ukraine, which forced athletes to compete under either a neutral flag or the Russian Olympic Committee since 2018.As of Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the provisional lift, stating, "The IOC Executive Board (EB) has provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) that had been in effect since 12 October 2023."The IOC also stated the terms of the suspension which were imposed on the occupied regions of Ukraine that fell under the ROC's jurisdiction, will also no longer apply. .Reported by CBC, 32 athletes from Russia and Belarus competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics as approved neutrals, collectively winning five medals.The Russian team had more than 300 athletes at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and won 71 medals. The IOC stated in its announcement, it has not yet decided whether Russian athletes will be able to compete with the Russian flag, anthem or colours, and this will be decided "at the appropriate time."It said to address the "lack of confidence in the global sporting community relating to the return of Russian athletes to international competition" athletes will have to undergo "relevant anti-doping requirements.".The next Olympic competition is the 2026 Youth Summer Games in Dakar, Senegal, starting on October 31. It also said it will not organize any IOC events "in Russia or invite Russian government or state officials to its events."
