Russia believes that it will be able to assemble a full contingent of athletes in time for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles after loosening sanctions have offered a path back to international competition.
In statements made to state-owned media on Monday, Anton Kobyakov, a special advisor to president Vladimir Putin said that it would be possible have a runway in place to ramp up preparations for the Olympics and other large scale events.
“We will definitely make a decent comeback at the upcoming Olympics,” Kobyakov said. “It is important for athletes’ fans and the country on the whole to cherish memories about such participation for them and they are not only about the main starts of their lives,’ but above everything the chance to represent their Homeland with dignity.”
Numerous sports governing bodies, including the International Olympic Committee, World Athletics, FIFA, World Aquatics and UEFA have imposed sweeping bans against Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Belarus was also subject to sanctions since some of the military action originated from within its borders.
And while the conflict in the region is still active, Russian and Belarusian athletes have slowly been welcomed back into international competition, with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), World Archery, World Aquatics and International Skating Union all lifting restrictions in the past year.
In July, the IOC relaxed nearly three years of sanctions against Russia, arguably marking the largest sign that the the global sports community would unanimously agree that there should be a distinction between athletes and the complexities of politics.
“The decision was taken following a thorough analysis by the IOC’s legal affairs commission, considering that the ROC no longer includes as its members any regional sports organizations in territories falling under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine,” the IOC said in its statement at the time. “In addition, the ROC confirmed that it does not, and will not, conduct any activities in these territories. The IOC executive board will continue to closely monitor the situation relating to any ROC activities in those territories, and reserves the right to take any further measures if deemed necessary.”
Still, all governing bodies did not agree with the IOC and World Athletics has maintained its ban on Russia and Belarus after its president Sebastian Coe said in July that “the original decision remains on the sanctions that protect the integrity and fairness of our competitions, with no tangible movement towards peace negotiations having materialized.”
World Athletics said internal discussions in 2023, 2025, March 2026 and in July all resulted in the same motive to keep Russia out of its events especially with no resolution on the table for ending the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia has since responded by filing a pair of legal claims with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in July and early August against World Athletics, alleging that the penalties impacting its athletes are extreme.
“The sanctions against Russian Athletics are unprecedented. No other sports federation faces such severe restrictions,” All-Russian Athletics Federation chief executive director Boris Yaryshevskiy said as part of the nation’s most recent claim. “They not only hinder the federation’s normal operation but also hold back the development of athletics in Russia, particularly among young athletes.”
