IOC President Allowed Possibility of Russian and Belarusian Participation in the 2026 Milan Olympics

The International Olympic Committee is considering the possibility of allowing Belarusian and Russian athletes to participate in next year's Games.

IOC President Thomas Bach stated that this issue should be discussed at the committee meetings scheduled for September and December. However, he emphasized that the approach should be similar to that in Paris.

Meanwhile, at the last Olympics, Belarusian and Russian athletes were indeed allowed to compete, but only under a neutral status—meaning without the use of flags or other national symbols.

In Paris, 15 Russian and 17 Belarusian athletes competed, winning a total of five medals.