Ukraine takes IOC decision on return of Russian athletes to the Court of Arbitration for Sport

From Ukraine's perspective, the return of Russian athletes at this time is not compatible with the principles of the Olympic Charter. Kyiv points to the ongoing armed conflict and to reports of attacks in several regions, including the areas around Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which could endanger the safety of Ukrainian athletes.

At the beginning of July, the IOC decided at a meeting of its Executive Board to relax the extensive suspensions in place since 2022 for Russian and Belarusian athletes under certain conditions. Accordingly, athletes should in the future be able to compete under a neutral flag and without an anthem, provided they are not actively involved in the war against Ukraine and have not expressed any public support for it.

The Russian Olympic team ROC had welcomed the decision. It sees it as a first step toward full reintegration into international sports. Ukrainian athletes and numerous national associations in Europe had protested against it.

Expected course of the proceedings

The CAS must now decide whether the IOC violated its own statutes and the regulations of the World Rowing federation with its decision. No date has yet been set for a substantive hearing; the parties to the proceedings expect a decision no earlier than several months from now.

Bidny said when announcing the lawsuit: Mit dieser Entscheidung des IOC wird das Blut vergessen, das ukrainische Sportlerinnen und Sportler seit Jahren vergießen. Die olympische Familie müsse Stellung beziehen und dürfe nicht zur Normalisierung der Aggression beitragen. Kyiv announced that it would seek the support of other associations and governments for the lawsuit.

International reactions

Ukraine is supported by several Baltic states and Poland, among others, which had expressed similar concerns in the past. The national Ukrainian sports federation NouSFK had also previously opposed the IOC's decision and emphasized that the participation of Russian athletes would undermine the values of competition.

The IOC rejected the allegation of a rule violation and pointed to a multi-stage consultation process with the international sports system. In a written statement, it said the conditions for admission were strictly formulated and took the security situation into account.

Possible consequences

If the CAS upholds the lawsuit, the IOC would have to review its decision again. This would significantly delay preparations for upcoming international competitions and once again call into question the plans for Russia's return to world sport.

In Ukrainian sports associations, pressure on the government to take further steps is growing. Bidny announced that she would also turn to international human rights organizations to present the reasons for the lawsuit to a broader public.