Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee has taken the International Olympic Committee to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. They are appealing against the IOC’s decision to allow the Russian Olympic Committee back into Olympic events.
The IOC had suspended the ROC in 2023 after Russia invaded Ukraine. But on July 7, 2026, they lifted the suspension, saying the ban was “no longer applicable.”
This decision brings Russia closer to competing in international sports. It could mean Russian athletes will compete under their flag at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
But on Wednesday, BBC Sport reported that Ukraine's NOC has disputed the IOC’s decision. They claim it was made too soon and without enough proof that the reasons for Russia’s suspension had been fixed.
“The position of the NOC of Ukraine is based on the fact that the IOC’s decision was made prematurely and without proper verification of whether the violations, which led to the suspension of the ROC following the appeal by the NOC of Ukraine on October 6, 2023, had actually been resolved,” the Ukrainian Olympic body stated.
The Ukrainian committee also mentioned that the IOC ignored past legal rulings from CAS. In 2024, CAS upheld the ROC’s suspension due to the inclusion of sports groups from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.
“The NOC of Ukraine also points out that as early as 2024, the CAS confirmed the legality of the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, recognising that the inclusion of sports organizations from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine and the provisions of the Olympic Charter,” the statement added.
Ukraine believes that bringing back the ROC’s rights before solving these issues would weaken international sports law. They say it sets a bad example for the Olympic movement.
“For this reason, the Ukrainian side believes that reinstating the ROC’s rights without effectively addressing these violations is incompatible with the principles of international sports law and sets a dangerous precedent for the entire Olympic Movement,” the statement said.
Russian and Belarusian athletes took part as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina due to restrictions linked to the war in Ukraine.
FIFA, which governs football worldwide, still has Russia suspended. Also, World Athletics turned down an IOC suggestion in May to lift restrictions on Belarusian athletes and teams.
The appeal by Ukraine will decide if the IOC’s move to restore Russia’s Olympic rights will stay in place for future international competitions.
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