Russia is set to return to the Olympics after the International Olympic Committee lifted its suspension on the country. A ban on Russian athletes was imposed in 2023 following the invasion of Ukraine. As a result, only a tiny number of Russians were able to compete at the Paris Olympics and Milan Winter Games, as neutrals and on the condition that they had not shown any support for the war, which remains ongoing. However, the ban has now been lifted, paving the way for hundreds of Russians to compete in Los Angeles in two years' time. 

The IOC has said it will decide in the future whether Russians will be able to compete under their own flag and anthem, but insiders have told Daily Mail Sport that they see the granting of such permission as 'a formality'. In a press release, the IOC added that it would not be hosting events in Russia for the time being or inviting officials from the country to its events. And the IOC also confirmed that, thanks to concerns over Russia's anti-doping agency, the country's athletes would need to be tested multiple times by international agencies before being allowed entry into global competitions.

Perhaps bizarrely, the war itself was not the reason for the ban, rather Russia's insistence that claimed and disputed territories in Ukraine were under its jurisdiction. The IOC said its legal affairs commission was now satisfied that the Russian Olympic Committee no longer included as its members any regional sports organisations in territories falling under the jurisdiction of Ukraine and as such had decided to lift the ban.

It warned that the selection of Russian athletes would be 'based not only on their sports performance, but also on their ability to serve as role models who respect, uphold and promote a peaceful society through sport as set forth in the Olympic Charter'.