IOC provisionally lifts ban on Russian athletes for 2028 Olympics
The International Olympic Committee has provisionally lifted the ban on Russian athletes, allowing them to compete in the 2028 Olympics under certain conditions.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The International Olympic Committee has provisionally lifted the suspension of Russian athletes, clearing the way for them to compete under their national flag at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The IOC imposed the ban in 2023 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but now says that restriction is no longer appropriate.
Russian athletes last competed under their country's flag at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Since then, they have faced a series of penalties: first over a state-sponsored doping scandal at the 2014 Sochi Games, which forced them to compete as neutrals under the name 'Olympic Athletes from Russia', and then the outright ban after the war began. Some individual athletes were still allowed to take part as neutrals.
The IOC's latest decision is provisional, meaning it has not yet been finalised. It is also unclear whether the Russian flag will be displayed or the national anthem played at the Los Angeles Games. The committee said it wanted to ensure 'all athletes have the possibility to compete at the Olympic Games and not be held responsible for their government's actions', while adding that it does 'not condone any violence and war around the world'.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from Ukrainian athletes. Vladislav Heraskiewicz, an Olympic skeleton skater, said: 'To see today that the IOC welcomes back Russia ... it makes you feel angry, I would say. And I believe it's huge injustice. And it feels like I see letting us behind. And they don't care about what's going on in our country.'
The decision is thought to have been timed to allow the Russian team to prepare for the 2028 Olympics, but there are concerns that their participation could be exploited for political purposes at the highest level.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| It has not been decided whether the Russian flag or anthem will be allowed at the Olympics. | |
| The IOC provisionally lifted the suspension of Russian athletes for the 2028 Olympics. | |
| The IOC suspended Russia in 2023 due to the war in Ukraine. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC report focused on the IOC's provisional lifting of the ban, providing historical context of Russia's previous sanctions and the Ukrainian athlete's emotional reaction. It balanced the IOC's stated rationale with the sense of betrayal felt by Ukraine, and noted unresolved questions about the flag and anthem. The tone was factual but included a strong human element through the athlete's quote.
- “We wanted to ensure all athletes have the possibility to compete at the Olympic Games And not be held responsible for their government's actions”
- “To see today that the IOC welcomes back Russia It's, I don't know, it makes you feel angry, I would say And I believe it's huge injustice And it feels like I see letting us behind And they don't care about what's going on in our country”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.