"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. The IOC also cites the successful participation of Belarusian athletes as "Individual Neutral Athletes" in recent events and the upcoming qualification period for the 2028 Olympic Games as reasons for their decision to reverse their prior recommendation."
"Earlier this week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) formally recommended that any restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes, including teams, "in competitions governed by International Federations (IFs) and international sports event organisers," be lifted. The decree comes just over four years after the IOC and other major sporting commissions, including the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), barred both Russia and Belarus from competing in their events."
"While the IOC and IIHF are two separate bodies, the latter typically follows the former in making eligibility decisions. Earlier this year, the IIHF decided to extend its ban on Russian and Belarusian teams from its competitions through the 2026-27 season. If that ban holds, the soonest Belarusian hockey players could return to action on their national teams would be late 2027."
"Russian athletes will not yet receive the same endorsement, partly due to anti-doping concerns and other questions surrounding the Russian Olympic Committee. The IOC also cites the successful participation of Belarusian athletes as "Individual Neutral Athletes" in recent events and the upcoming qualification period for the 2028 Olympic Games as reasons for their decision to reverse their prior recommendation."
The IOC recommended lifting restrictions on Belarusian athletes, including teams, in competitions governed by international federations and international sports event organizers. The recommendation reverses a ban imposed about four years earlier after Russia, with Belarus’s help, illegally invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The IOC stated that athletes’ participation should not be limited by government actions, including involvement in war or conflict. The IOC cited Belarusian athletes’ successful participation as Individual Neutral Athletes and the upcoming qualification period for the 2028 Olympic Games. Russian athletes were not endorsed for the same change due to anti-doping concerns and issues involving the Russian Olympic Committee. The IIHF often follows IOC eligibility decisions, and its extended ban on Russian and Belarusian teams runs through the 2026-27 season, delaying Belarusian national team returns until late 2027 at the earliest. Aliaksei Protas and Ilya Protas are NHL players from Belarus, with Aliaksei ranking second among active Belarusian players in career scoring.
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