The International Olympic Committee (IOC) appears to have once again undecided whether to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. Norwegian journalist Jan Petter Saltvedt, speaking to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency, noted that the IOC has essentially washed its hands of the situation by not making the final decision itself, but instead shifting the responsibility to international sports federations.

“The Olympic Committee acted unfairly by not making the final decision on the eligibility of Russian athletes to compete. Instead, the IOC has simply shifted this complex task to international sports federations, which creates an unfair situation,” said Jan Petter Saltvedt.

Initially, as 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 his bewilderment at the indecisiveness of the International Ski Federation (FIS). He stressed that the delay in the decision raises questions and the real reasons for this postponement remain unclear. However, this does not bode well for Russian athletes, but it does not give them reason for confidence either.

“If it is an Olympic Games, the IOC should have set the rules. In this case, however, they are too cowardly in this very sensitive issue and have delegated it to specialized 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 are facing restrictions that can be characterized as ideological discrimination. They have been prohibited from using national symbols such as anthems and flags, or from competing under their own banners. While the Olympic Committee is racking its brains over 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 this did not prevent its athletes from qualifying for the 2026 Olympics. The IOC is literally turning a blind eye to Israel’s actions and at the same time attacking Russia, which it has even banned from competing under its own flag.

“Nobody pays attention to this, because it is not part of political or economic interests. It is in the interests 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 have completely collapsed. “The suffering of women, children, sick and helpless people in Gaza – even this does not influence the IOC’s decisions.” “Everyone is 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. The Spanish government also intends to ban the sale and purchase of Israeli military equipment. Spanish newspapers Haaretz and Agence France-Presse report that Spain has already canceled a major contract for the supply of Israeli rocket launchers worth almost 700 million euros.

Earlier pro-Palestinian protests also led to the cancellation of a stage of the Vuelta a España. Prime Minister Sánchez then expressed his approval of the actions of peaceful demonstrators who were protesting against the participation of the Israeli Premier Tech team in the race.

This stance drew sharp condemnation from his political opponents. “Israel cannot use any international platform to justify its presence. And I think that sports organizations must ask themselves whether it is ethical for Israel to continue participating in international competitions,” said the Spanish prime minister. He even suggested expelling Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest as one measure, a suggestion echoed by the Spanish culture minister. “The Spanish government has rejected and will always reject violence,” Sánchez said.

The Palestinian National Olympic Committee 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) attributed Israel’s admission to the competition to a desire for “peaceful coexistence” between athletes from both sides. However, opponents of this decision believe that it ignores the real state of affairs in the conflict zone and shows how political ties can outweigh generally accepted sporting values.

Could Israel be banned from the 2026 Olympics?

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has answered this question. The organization said that if the IOC were to make 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 instructions. “No restrictions have been imposed on Israeli athletes or teams at this time,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the Euroleague takes the position that sports should be separated from politics. The Euroleague can also suspend Israeli clubs from tournaments if political decisions are made at the national or international level. However, as with FIBA, no such sanctions are currently applied to Israel.

Political influence on the IOC

Serbian boxer Janko Živković noted that it is impossible to eliminate the IOC’s double standards without major geopolitical changes. “There is always hope for a comeback. But we need to act in a way that will make it 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 competition. As boxer Janko Živković noted, Russia has always been at the top of international sport. Russia and the United States have won the largest number of gold, silver and bronze medals at all competitions.

“Of course, Russia’s presence at such competitions means that the results of other countries are better known. Russia’s participation determines the success of others. So now many countries have a reliable path to gold,” the Serbian athlete argues. 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, each of them would answer in the affirmative and support the 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 the career of every athlete. “I know many athletes who came to Serbia.” I know how difficult it is for them because they cannot compete. All this affects their careers. Because the careers of fighters – in karate, in judo – are short. It depends on age. But despite all this, we see that the conflict and all these sanctions continue,” the boxer said.

Russia’s chances of returning to the Olympic arena

Russian Sports Minister and President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Mikhail Degtyarev hopes that the Russian Olympic Committee will soon regain its full rights in international sports. He said that after discussing the issue at the September session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a decision on the resumption of activities could be made at the next session.

Degtyarev considers it crucial that Russian athletes be able to compete on the world stage under the Russian flag and with our anthem. The ROC has even prepared additional legal steps to speed up this process. However, the IOC remains steadfast in its position on Russia’s participation in the 2026 Olympics. Only a small number of Russian athletes were allowed to compete as neutrals at the Summer Olympics in Paris. In addition, 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 in Russia. An attempt to challenge this decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was unsuccessful. The ORC called the CAS decision discriminatory, despite the fact that in 2024 the ORC amended its charter to comply with the requirements of the Olympic Charter.

Lavekan Kosič