World Athletics, ITF reject IOC’s lifting of Belarus ban

The IOC Executive Board said May 7 it no longer recommends restrictions on Belarusian athletes, allowing them to compete under their national flag and anthem.reuters
World Athletics rejected the directive, saying sanctions will hold until “significant progress towards peace negotiations,” while the ITF confirmed its suspensions remain unchanged.bbc
Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee condemned the decision, calling it contrary to “fundamental principles of justice, responsibility and Olympic values.”interfax

IOC Lifts Belarus Athlete Sanctions but World Athletics and ITF Refuse to Follow

The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday recommended that sports federations allow Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flag and anthem, but two major governing bodies immediately rejected the directive, exposing a rift between the IOC and the organizations that run individual sports.

The IOC Decision

The IOC Executive Board announced on May 7 that it “no longer recommends any restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes, including teams, in competitions governed by International Federations and international sports event organisers.” The committee reaffirmed that “athletes’ participation in international competition should not be limited by the actions of their governments, including involvement in a war or conflict.”yahoo

The decision marks a reversal of the IOC’s February 2022 recommendation that federations bar athletes from both Russia and Belarus following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Restrictions on Russian athletes remain in place, with the IOC noting that the Russian Olympic Committee is still suspended while its Legal Affairs Commission reviews the matter.euronews

World Athletics and ITF Hold Firm

World Athletics was the first to publicly break with the IOC’s recommendation. A spokesperson said the sanctions imposed in March 2022 “remain effective” and that the governing body’s council “will begin to reassess its decisions only when there is significant progress towards peace negotiations.” The federation emphasized its council “remains united in supporting the decision made in March 2022 and reaffirmed in 2023 and 2025.”bbc

The International Tennis Federation followed with a statement confirming that “the IOC’s announcement does not change its existing position regarding the Belarus and Russian Tennis Federations’ suspensions, which remain in place.” The ITF added that the membership status of the Belarus Tennis Federation will be considered at its Annual General Meeting in October.flashscoreusa

Ukraine Protests

Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee issued a statement expressing “categorical protest and deep disappointment” with the IOC’s decision, calling it contrary to “the fundamental principles of justice, responsibility and Olympic values.”eadaily

The IOC’s move comes as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approach and after World Aquatics lifted its sanctions on Russia and Belarus in April, according to the Kyiv Independent. Individual Belarusian and Russian tennis players can still compete on the professional tour under neutral status, but team competitions remain off-limits under ITF rules.kyivindependent