On Thursday, the International Olympic Committee suspended the activities of the Russian Olympic Committee, which included sports organizations of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine.

Olympic Committee of RussiaPhoto: Natalia KOLESNIKOVA / AFP / Profimedia

The Russian Olympic Committee violated the Olympic Charter

It was found to have violated the Olympic Charter by recognizing the regional Olympic councils of Luhansk People’s Republic, Donetsk People’s Republic, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

“The unilateral decision of the Russian Olympic Committee from October 5, 2023 to include in its composition regional sports organizations subordinate to the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine (namely Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhia regions) is a violation. of the Olympic Charter, as it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in accordance with the Olympic Charter,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said, according to News.ro.

In view of the above, the IOC Executive Committee decided today:

“The activities of the Russian Olympic Committee are suspended immediately, until further notice. Suspension has the following consequences:

The Russian Olympic Committee no longer has the right to function as a national Olympic committee as defined in the Olympic Charter and can no longer receive funding from the Olympic movement.”

The participation of Russian athletes as individual neutral athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics remains uncertain, and the IOC insists COR’s suspension will not affect its decision.

“As set out in the IOC Position and Recommendations of 28 March 2023, which remain in full force and effect, the IOC reserves the right to decide on the participation of individual neutral athletes with Russian passports in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the 2024 Olympic Games. Milan Cortina 2026 at the right time,” added Adams.

“Also CEx. The IOC reserves the right to make any other decision or take action depending on the development of this situation.”

The IOC does not yet have a timetable for when a decision will be made on Paris 2024, but Adams said it would be “closer to the Olympics”.