The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee has provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, in force since 12 October 2023. The decision was made following an in-depth analysis by the IOC Legal Affairs Commission, which ascertained that the Russian Olympic Committee no longer includes among its members any regional sports organisation in territories falling under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee. The Russian Olympic Committee also confirmed that it does not conduct, and will not conduct in the future, any activities in those territories. The IOC stated it will continue to carefully monitor the situation and reserves the right to adopt further measures should it deem necessary. The revocation means that the recommendations adopted in 2022 and 2023, which limited the participation of Russian athletes in international competitions following the invasion of Ukraine, are no longer applicable, given the need to ensure equal access to competitions for all athletes. The decision comes ahead of the qualification period for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games. Russian athletes therefore regain access to qualification tournaments, including team competitions. However, the decision does not amount to a full reinstatement of Russia in world sport. Each international federation retains full autonomy in deciding whether and under what conditions to readmit Russian athletes and teams. Furthermore, the IOC has deferred to a later date any decision on the possible use of the Russian flag and anthem at the Olympic Games, while in other competitions the decision will be up to individual federations. The IOC also specified that it will not organise Olympic events in Russia nor invite Russian government officials to its own events. On the anti-doping front, the IOC stressed that all Russian athletes returning to international competition must satisfy relevant anti-doping requirements, in particular those established by IOC and International Federation rules, as well as best practices set by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Should the Russian Anti-Doping Agency be found non-compliant by WADA in 2028 before the Los Angeles Games, the IOC will commission an independent international testing agency to ensure all qualified Russian athletes undergo independent tests. In conformity with the Olympic Charter, the Russian Olympic Committee must ensure that the selection of Russian athletes for the Olympic Games is based not only on sporting performance but also on their ability to serve as role models who respect, support and promote a peaceful society through sport. Last May, the IOC had already lifted restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes. The lifting of the Russian suspension therefore marks a significant shift, but the return of Russian athletes to international competition will be gradual and dependent on the decisions of individual sports federations.