Zakharov “Common sense has won”: Moscow celebrates IOC decision

IOC temporarily lifted the suspension from the Russian Olympic Committeeopening the way for Russian athletes to Olympic qualifications. But the issue of participation under the flag and anthem in Los Angeles 2028 has not yet been resolved.

The International Olympic Committee has temporarily lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, which had been in effect since October 2023. The decision opens the way for Russian athletes to return to the international Olympic system and qualifying tournaments for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

But it is too early to say that Russia has already fully returned to the Olympics. The IOC has not made a final decision on the national flag, anthem, form of participation of the national team and admission to team disciplines.

The IOC Executive Committee suspended the activities of the Russian Olympic Committee in the fall of 2023 after the ROC included in its structure the sports organizations of the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine: Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. The IOC then stated that this violated the Olympic Charter and the territorial integrity of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.

Now, according to Reutersthe IOC concluded that ROC no longer operates in these regions and temporarily lifted the sanction. This gives Russian athletes the opportunity to participate in many international competitions and Olympic trials.

What exactly has changed

The main consequence of the IOC decision is the restoration of the status of the Russian Olympic Committee in the Olympic movement. Russian athletes will be able to return to qualifying tournaments if specific international federations allow them to participate.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry explained the decision by saying that athletes should not bear personal punishment for the actions of the authorities of their countries. At the same time, she separately stated that the IOC continues to support Ukraine and does not change its attitude towards the war.

For Moscow, this became an important political and symbolic signal. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the decision a victory of common sense.

“Vivat, common sense has won, there should be world sport, be with Russia,” Zakharova wrote in her Telegram channel.

Her reaction is understandable: after several years of restrictions, Russia for the first time received an official signal about possible reintegration into major international sport. However, there is still a long distance between the restoration of the ROC status and the full return of the national team.

The first “dark place”: flag and anthem

The IOC has not yet decided whether Russia will be able to compete at the 2028 Olympics under its own flag, with a national anthem and official symbols.

At the Olympics in Paris in 2024 and Milan-Cortina in 2026, individual Russian athletes were allowed in neutral status. They could not use the Russian flag, anthem or national team symbols, and participation in team tournaments remained closed.

The current decision changes the position of the Russian Olympic Committee, but does not automatically cancel the rules in force for individual athletes. The IOC has yet to determine the format for Russia’s participation in Los Angeles.

That is why the phrase “Russia has returned to the Olympics” is still too bold. A more precise formulation looks like this: Russia has returned to the Olympic system, but the conditions for its participation in the 2028 Games have not yet been approved.

The second “dark place”: federations are not obliged to obey the IOC

Even after the IOC decision, international federations retain the right to set their own restrictions. This is especially important for football, basketball, athletics, hockey and a number of other sports.

FIFA and UEFA have not yet announced the return of Russian national teams and clubs to international tournaments. This means that the IOC decision does not in itself return Russian teams to the Champions League, Europa League or World and European Championship qualifiers.

The same situation applies to the Euroleague. Russian basketball clubs do not receive an automatic right to return just because the IOC lifted the suspension of the ROC. Eurocup tournaments are managed by separate structures and may retain their own sanctioning decisions.

The position of World Athletics is especially indicative. Just a few days before the IOC decision, the International Athletics Federation confirmed the continued ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions. Reuters notes that this ban operates separately from previous doping sanctions and is related specifically to the war in Ukraine.

Why did the IOC decision cause a scandal?

For Ukraine and for parts of the international sports community, the decision was extremely painful. Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladislav Geraskevich called on national Olympic committees to unite against Russia’s return, saying allowing Russian athletes could become a propaganda tool amid the ongoing war.

Critics of the decision remind that the issue is not limited only to the formal exclusion of sports structures of the occupied territories from the ROC. They point to the ongoing war, the involvement of individual athletes in government propaganda and past doping scandals.

Russia, in turn, considers the previous restrictions politically motivated and discriminatory. Moscow insists that athletes should not be responsible for state decisions, and the Olympic movement is obliged to preserve the principle of universality.

The IOC is trying to maintain a balance between these positions. But the balance turns out to be shaky: on the one hand, the committee declares support for Ukraine and the continuation of sanctions against Russian government agencies; on the other hand, it is gradually opening the door for the return of Russian athletes.

The doping factor has not disappeared anywhere

Russia’s return to Olympic sports occurs not only against the backdrop of war, but also after one of the largest doping scandals in the history of the Olympic Games.

Russian athletes have faced individual restrictions for several years due to investigations into a systemic doping program and manipulation of laboratory data. The IOC emphasizes that all returning athletes must undergo anti-doping controls and meet the requirements of international federations.

This means that restoration of OCD status does not erase previous claims. It only opens the possibility for a new stage of negotiations and admission, but does not cancel checks, federation sanctions and individual selection criteria.

What’s next

In the coming months, the decisions of specific international federations will be key. They will determine whether Russian athletes will be able to participate in the selection for the 2028 Olympics, in which disciplines and under what status.

The next question is the format of participation in Los Angeles. The IOC must decide whether it will allow the Russian delegation under national symbols or maintain the neutral status familiar from Paris and Milan.

Main result: Russia did not receive a full return, and a chance to return. The IOC removed one of the most stringent barriers, but did not automatically cancel sporting, political and symbolic restrictions.

For Moscow, this is a reason to talk about the victory of common sense. For Ukraine, this is a reason to talk about the capitulation of the Olympic principles. For international sports, this is another example of how the idea of ​​“sport outside of politics” usually ends the moment politics enters the stadium through the main entrance.

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