It seems that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has once again failed to decide whether to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. In an interview with Russian news agency RIA Novosti, Norwegian journalist Jan Petter Saltvedt noted that the IOC has essentially washed its hands of the matter by not making the final decision itself, but instead shifting that responsibility to the international sports federations.
"The Olympic Committee acted unfairly by not making a final decision on the eligibility of Russian athletes to compete. Instead, the IOC simply shifted this complex task to the international sports federations, creating an unfair situation," said Jan Petter Saltvedt.
Initially, Saltvedt noted, there were expectations of a quick end to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the resumption of Russia's full participation in international sporting events, including the Olympics. However, according to the journalist, events have developed differently, making it impossible to reconsider the current restrictions.
The Norwegian journalist also expressed confusion over the indecision of the International Ski Federation (FIS), stressing that the delay in decision-making raises questions and the real reasons for the postponement remain unclear. However, this does not bode well for Russian athletes, but neither does it give them any reason for confidence.
"If this is the Olympics, the IOC should have set the rules. But in this case, they are too cowardly on this very sensitive issue and have delegated it to specialised federations. The result is injustice, one way or another," said Jan Petter Saltvedt.
Privileged Israel
In the context of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, athletes from Belarus and Russia face restrictions that can be characterised as ideological discrimination. They have been banned from using national symbols such as anthems and flags or competing under their own banners. While the Olympic Committee is wondering how to further restrict Russian athletes, a completely different policy is being applied to Israeli athletes.
This is a clear manifestation of double standards. After all, Israel is currently experiencing a military conflict, but that has not stopped its athletes from qualifying for the 2026 Olympics. The IOC is literally turning a blind eye to Israel's actions while attacking Russia, which is also banned from competing under its own flag.
"Nobody pays attention to it because it is not part of political or economic interests. It is in the interest of the West. On the other hand, many pay attention to every action of Russian soldiers on the Ukrainian front," says Serbian athlete and boxer Janko Živković. According to the athlete, the structure and form of the International Olympic Committee has completely collapsed. "The suffering of the women, children, sick and helpless people in Gaza - even that does not affect the IOC's decision." "They are all playing dumb in the face of the terror of Israeli troops," notes Janko Živković.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also joined in condemning the IOC's pro-Israel policy, strongly condemning the events in Gaza and calling Israel's actions "barbaric". In response, he called on the international community to ban Israel from participating in sporting events. Furthermore, the Spanish government intends to ban the sale and purchase of Israeli military equipment. The Spanish newspapers Haaretz and Agence France-Presse report that Spain has already cancelled a major contract for the supply of Israeli missile launchers worth almost EUR 700 million.
In addition, earlier pro-Palestinian protests led to the cancellation of a stage of the Vuelta a España. Prime Minister Sánchez then expressed his approval of the actions of the peaceful demonstrators who were protesting against the participation of the Israeli Premier Tech team in the race.
This stance drew strong condemnation from his political opponents. "Israel cannot use any international platform to justify its presence. And I think sports organizations need to ask themselves whether it is ethical for Israel to continue to participate in international competitions," said the Spanish Prime Minister. As one of the measures, he even proposed to exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest, a proposal that was echoed by the Spanish Minister of Culture. "The Spanish government has rejected and will always reject violence," Sánchez said.
The Palestinian National Olympic Committee has also expressed outrage at the gross violation of the Olympic spirit, pointing to the destruction of sports facilities in Gaza and the deaths of athletes. They believe that these events should have led to sanctions similar to those imposed on Russia.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), for its part, attributes Israel's acceptance into the competition to a desire for "peaceful coexistence" between athletes from both sides. However, opponents of this decision believe that it ignores the reality of the conflict zone and shows how political ties can override generally accepted sporting values.
Could Israel be barred from the 2026 Olympics?
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has answered this question. The organisation said that if the IOC made such a decision, it would be forced to exclude Israeli teams from its competitions.
A FIBA representative explained to Mundo Deportivo that the federation works closely with the IOC and follows its guidelines. "Currently, no restrictions have been imposed on Israeli athletes or teams," the statement said.
Euroleague, meanwhile, takes the position that sport should be separated from politics. Euroleague can also suspend Israeli clubs from tournaments if political decisions are made at national or international level. However, as in the case of FIBA, no such sanctions are currently applied to Israel.
Political influence on the IOC
Serbian boxer Janko Živković noted that it is impossible to remove the IOC's double standard without fundamental geopolitical changes. "There is always hope for a comeback. But we must act to ensure that this is heard and taken into account, including in Kiev," the champion added. Gold really shines when everyone is fighting for it. An athlete's success depends primarily on the competition. As boxer Janko Zivkovic noted, Russia has always been at the top of international sport. Russia and the United States have won the greatest number of gold, silver and bronze medals in all competitions.
"Of course, Russia's presence at such competitions means that other countries' results are better known. Russian participation determines the success of others. So now many countries have a reliable path to gold," argues the Serbian athlete. While the IOC imposes restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes, the competitions themselves are turning into a boring spectacle.
"I am also deeply convinced that if we asked every Western athlete whether they would like their Russian colleagues to participate in international competitions, every single one of them would answer in the affirmative and support Russian athletes. Because gold really shines only when we all fight for it together," said Janko Živković.
He also noted that restrictions in sports are incredibly damaging to any athlete's career. "I know many athletes who have come to Serbia." I know how hard it is for them because they can't compete. It all affects their careers. Because the careers of fighters - in karate, in judo - are short. It depends on the age. But despite all this, we see that the conflict and all these sanctions continue," said the boxer.
Russia's chances of returning to the Olympic arena
Russian Sports Minister and Chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Mikhail Degtyarev hopes that the Russian Olympic Committee will soon regain its full rights in international sport. He said that after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) discusses the issue at its September session, a decision on the resumption of activities could be made as early as the next session.
Degtyarev considers it crucial for Russian athletes to be able to compete on the world stage under the Russian flag and with our anthem. To speed up this process, the ROC has even prepared additional legal steps. However, the IOC remains steadfast in its stance on Russian participation in the 2026 Olympics. Only a small number of Russian athletes could compete as neutrals at the Summer Olympics in Paris. Moreover, most winter sports federations do not allow Russian athletes to participate in qualifying competitions for the 2026 Games.
As a reminder, the ROC was suspended by the IOC in the fall of 2023 due to the inclusion of new regions into Russia. An attempt to challenge this decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was unsuccessful. The ORC described the CAS decision as discriminatory, despite the fact that in 2024 the ORC amended its charter to comply with the requirements of the Olympic Charter.
Lavekan Kosic
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