Belarusian athletes could compete under own flag for LA28 as IOC lifts recommended restrictions

Belarusian athletes have not been able to compete under their own flag in the Olympics since 2022 Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Share articleBelarusian athletes could now compete at the LA28 Olympic Games under their own flag after the International Olympic Committee lifted its recommended restrictions on their participation in competitions governed by International Federations and sports event organisers. This development follows both Russian and Belarusian athletes being banned from Olympic and Paralympic sport after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Aleksandr Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, had supported Vladimir Putin and the Russian president’s war in Ukraine, which is why the IOC sanctioned Belarusian athletes. The International Paralympic Committee had given Belarusian athletes four slots for March’s Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, but that move was not replicated in the preceding month’s Olympics and came under scrutiny with many countries joining a boycott. Although the IOC allowed the participation of some Russian and Belarusian athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the Milano Cortina Games, they were only eligible to compete as part of an ‘Individual Neutral Athletes’ (AIN) team. Belarusian trampolinist Ivan Litvinovich became the first-ever athlete to win a gold medal at the Games under the AIN banner in Paris, where he successfully defended the gold medal he won in Tokyo three years earlier. Competing under the AIN banner meant athletes were unable to wear their country’s kit or display their country’s flag, nor were the Russian or Belarusian national anthems played. But even though the IOC has now lifted its recommended restrictions on athletes from Belarus, Russian athletes remain under the same sanctions. “The situation relating to the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is different from that relating to the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus,” the IOC’s statement read. “The NOC of Belarus is in good standing and complies with the Olympic Charter. Whilst the ROC has held constructive exchanges with the IOC on its suspension, it remains suspended while the IOC Legal Affairs Commission continues to review the matter. “The IOC EB also noted with concern the recent information that has led to the World Anti-Doping Agency looking into the Russian anti-doping system. The IOC EB would therefore like to obtain a better understanding of this situation.” For Belarusian athletes, however, the door to compete under their country’s flag has now been opened. “As the IOC continues to navigate the ever-increasing complex realities and consequences of the current geopolitical context, including the rising number of wars and conflicts, and amidst growing global instability, it must uphold its mission to preserve a values-based and truly global sporting platform that provides hope to the world,” the IOC’s statement added. “The IOC reaffirms that athletes’ participation in international competition should not be limited by the actions of their governments, including involvement in a war or conflict.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms