All restrictions on Belarusian athletes lifted by Olympic bosses

The International Olympic Committee has lifted all restrictions on Belarusian athletes.

The move clears the way for their return to international ​competitions, including at qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, where Belarus was used as a staging ​ground, the Olympic governing body had recommended ​Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials be banned ‌from events.

The organisation has now said: "The IOC executive board no longer recommends any restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes, including teams, in competitions ​governed by International Federations and international sports event organisers."

Belarusian athletes ⁠can now compete freely under their own flag and anthem, including in team sports.

They can also ‌take part in all qualifying events beginning later this year for the 2028 Games.

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Just a few Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to compete at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics - in individual events only and as neutral athletes without their flag.

The IOC said restrictions would not be lifted for Russian athletes.

There has been speculation that a ​similar decision could be made for Moscow in ​the coming months.

Russia's Olympic committee was suspended in October 2023 ⁠for recognising regional Olympic councils for Russian-occupied ​regions of Ukraine - Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia - following the invasion of Ukraine.

The Olympic body said this had violated the Olympic Charter and the territorial integrity of Ukraine's ‌Olympic Committee.

"The situation relating to the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) ​is different from that relating to the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of ⁠Belarus. The NOC of Belarus is in good standing and complies with the Olympic Charter," the IOC said.

(c) Sky News 2026: All restrictions on Belarusian athletes lifted by Olympic bosses