In global sports, which have faced scandals, political tensions, and ideological differences in recent years, there is a cautious effort to return to the principles and rules established by the founders of the modern Olympic Movement.
Following a period in which the IOC and major federations were involved in geopolitical conflicts, and tournaments became venues for demonstration, the system is beginning to dismantle some of the more contentious elements of the sanctions regime. This process is symbolised by the gradual return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to competing under their national flags, something that seemed improbable until recently.
The easing of restrictions on athletes from Russia and Belarus reflects a significant shift in the IOC’s approach. In December, the International Olympic Committee and several major federations began to address the double standards established in 2022, which had served as a mechanism for excluding entire teams and thousands of athletes.
What began as a “temporary measure” has developed into a long-term framework of restrictions that has affected not only specific countries but also the foundational principles of sport, which emphasise equality, fair competition, and the apolitical nature of the Games.
A notable moment in the history of the politicisation of elite sports was the IOC Executive Board’s decision on December 11, 2025, to lift restrictions on young athletes. This decision repealed the 2022 sanctions that had effectively barred junior and young athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating fully in international competitions.
As a result, these athletes can once again compete under their national flags, wear their national team uniforms, and hear their national anthem if they win, without the previous procedures that sought to enforce neutrality based on citizenship and nationality.
Importantly, this decision applies to both individual and team sports, signifying a restoration of athletes’ fundamental right to compete as a national team. The IOC has established a precedent that allows federations to determine the status of youth tournaments independently, with a clear mandate that Russian and Belarusian athletes must be allowed to participate without additional conditions. This principle is expected to extend to the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, where the notion of “neutral young athletes” would be particularly complex.
The IOC’s return to its core principles aligns with the new leadership of Kirsty Coventry, who has advocated for a return to traditional values and the ideals established by the founders of the Olympic Movement. However, this shift is not solely the result of a change in perspective at the global sporting headquarters. It has also been influenced by international federations, which recognised that excluding strong athletes and teams can undermine the competitiveness of tournaments and their commercial viability.
An illustrative example of this approach is the International Judo Federation (IJF), which in late November took proactive steps to reinstate the rights of Russian judokas to compete under the national flag, linking this decision to principles of fair governance. Following this, on December 4, the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) announced that starting January 1, 2026, Russian and Belarusian sambo wrestlers would be able to use national symbols at all international tournaments. These independent yet simultaneous decisions indicate a growing consensus within the sports community: the exclusion of strong teams and athletes undermines the integrity of the entire system, which benefits from healthy competition and development opportunities.
It is important to recognize that the current adjustments in global sports are not occurring in isolation. Rather, they represent the acceleration of a trend that has been observed previously across various sports, with differing levels of visibility and motivation. For instance, in 2024, the International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB) reinstated the Russian flag and anthem for athletes at World and European Championships. In some disciplines, such as certain extreme sports, strict bans on Russian and Belarusian national symbols were not initially enforced.
Moreover, in commercial mixed martial arts tournaments, where market dynamics dictate the rules, the temporary ban on Russian and Belarusian flags in 2022 was lifted by October 2023, allowing fighters to compete with national symbols to positive audience reception. These instances suggest that the politicisation of sport did not receive widespread support within the sporting community or among fans, many of whom did not favour sanctions or the transformation of tournaments into platforms for geopolitical disputes.
