By Tass
Copyright tass
MOSCOW, September 19. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee’s announcement that it won’t change its position on Russia’s non-participation in the Olympics came as no surprise, Russian Sports Minister and President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Mikhail Degtyarev said on his Telegram channel.
“The IOC executive board’s statement that it won’t move from its previous approach to the participation of neutral athletes in the 2026 Games was expected. Until the ROC’s rights are fully restored, no other decisions can be made,” Degtyarev wrote.
Earlier, the International Olympic Committee press service reported that Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be eligible to participate in team events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. In 2022, the IOC recommended barring Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions due to the escalation of the situation in Ukraine. In 2023, the organization softened the sanctions, allowing athletes to compete under a neutral status in individual sports. At the Paris Olympics, 15 Russian athletes were able to participate.
