The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) has been suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after it recognized regional entities illegally annexed in Ukraine as its own.
When the ROC recognized Olympic Councils in the Luhansk People's Republic, Donetsk People's Republic, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, the IOC deemed that this was a breach of the Olympic Charter.
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IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: "The unilateral decision taken by the Russian Olympic Committee on October 5, 2023, to include, as its members, the regional sports organizations which are under the authority of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine (namely Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia) constitutes a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, as recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in accordance with the Olympic Charter.
"In view of the above, the IOC Executive Board today decided that: The Russian Olympic Committee is suspended with immediate effect until further notice.
"The IOC EB also reserves the right to take any further decision or measure depending on the development of this situation."
The suspension means that the ROC "is no longer entitled to operate as a National Olympic Committee" and "cannot receive any funding from the Olympic Movement".
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By GlobalDataThe IOC added that it will decide whether Russian athletes can compete as neutrals at Paris 2024 "at the appropriate time".
No timeline has been provided by the IOC as to when the decision will be made regarding Russian athletes for Paris 2024, but Adams clarified that it would be “closer to the Games”, and that the ROC ban would have no effect on the decision.
Groups have been pressuring the IOC to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing even under a neutral flag since the invasion began. However, the governing body advised sporting federations to allow athletes from those countries to compete as neutrals in March.
Ukraine has said it will boycott next year's Games in Paris if a full ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes is not put in place.
Last week, European soccer's governing body UEFA was forced to delay plans to reintegrate Russia’s under-17 teams into its competitions following significant opposition.
UEFA had felt that youth players “should not be punished for actions whose responsibility lies exclusively with adults” regarding the country’s ongoing war with Ukraine, ending a blanket ban on Russian teams that had been in place since the invasion began in February 2022.
UEFA said: “The agenda point was withdrawn as no technical solution to allow Russian teams to play could be found.”
