Russian and Belarusian gymnasts welcome to international championships World Gymnastics

©Victor Freitas via Unsplash

The international gymnastics federation World Gymnastics has decided to lift restrictions on athletes from Russia and Belarus. Consequently, according to Russian news agency TASS, Russian athletes will now be allowed to participate in competitions again under the national flag and with their own national anthem.

World Gymnastics has lifted all restrictions on athletes from Russia and Belarus with immediate effect. The decision was made at an executive committee meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Russian gymnasts had not been allowed to compete in international tournaments since 2022. Since 2024, gymnasts and gymnasts from Russia and Belarus were allowed to participate only as individual neutral athletes. They then had to prove that they and their coaching team had no ties to the Russian or Belarusian government, national federations or Olympic committees. So that decision is now being overturned. More details on the implementation of the decision have not been released for now.

Earlier, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had already lifted sanctions against Belarusian athletes. Indeed, since May, Belarusian athletes have again been allowed to participate in international competitions and team competitions under their own flags and national anthems. However, restrictions against Russian athletes remain in place at the IOC.

Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, the IOC and numerous international sports federations have imposed sanctions on athletes from Russia and Belarus. Belarus is actively supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine.

The European Gymnastics Federation informed TASS that they are aware of the decision and will make their own decision on lifting it this week.

©Victor Freitas via Unsplash - illustration image of a gymnast