IOC Allows Belarusian Athletes to Compete Under National Flag at LA28

TL;DR: The IOC has removed its recommended ban, permitting Belarusian competitors to appear under the Belarus flag at the LA28 Olympics, while Russian athletes remain barred.

The decision arrives as the Los Angeles 2028 Games approach, marking a shift from the neutral‑athlete status imposed on Belarusian and Russian participants after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Under the new ruling, Belarus’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) is deemed in good standing, allowing its athletes to wear national colors and hear their anthem if they win.

The International Olympic Committee clarified that the situation of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) differs from Belarus’s NOC. While the ROC stays suspended pending a legal review, the Belarus NOC complies with the Olympic Charter and faces no further sanctions. The IOC emphasized that athletes should not be penalized for their governments’ actions, reaffirming its mission to keep sport a global, values‑based platform.

World Athletics, the governing body for track and field, announced it will keep its sanctions intact. The federation’s statement cited the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine as the reason Belarusian and Russian athletes, officials, and support staff remain excluded from competition. The council indicated it will only reconsider the bans if tangible progress toward peace negotiations emerges.

The policy change aligns the IOC with its earlier stance at the Paris 2024 Games, where a handful of Russian and Belarusian competitors were allowed to compete only as Individual Neutral Athletes (INA). Under the INA banner, athletes could not display national symbols or hear their anthems. The new permission for Belarus marks the first time since the conflict began that its athletes can compete under their own flag at a Summer Olympics.

For Belarusian competitors, the door to national representation is now open, but the broader geopolitical landscape remains unsettled. The IOC’s legal commission continues to examine the ROC’s status, and World Athletics maintains its exclusionary policy. The divergent approaches highlight the complex balance between sport and politics.

What it means: Belarusian athletes will march under their flag in Los Angeles, potentially boosting national morale and sponsorship opportunities. Russian athletes, however, stay under neutral status or barred entirely, depending on their sport’s governing body. The split signals that future Olympic participation will hinge on diplomatic developments and the resolution of the Ukraine conflict.

What to watch: Monitor the IOC’s legal review of the Russian Olympic Committee and any shifts in World Athletics’ sanctions as peace talks evolve.