Lausanne, Switzerland –
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday urged sports bodies to fully reintegrate Russian and Belarusian athletes into junior competitions and allow them to compete with their national flag and anthem.
“Athletes have a fundamental right to access sport across the world, and to compete free from political interference or pressure from governmental organization,” the IOC said in a statement.
The proposal, which comes three years before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, was welcomed by Russia, whose athletes have faced bans from international competition since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022.