The Kremlin welcomed the news enthusiastically, with Russian Olympic Committee President and Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev congratulating Coventry in a Telegram post.
“We anticipate that under the new leadership, the Olympic movement will grow stronger … and Russia will once again stand on the Olympic podium,” Degtyarev stated.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022—an act the International Olympic Committee (IOC) deemed a violation of the Olympic Charter—Russian and Belarusian athletes have been forbidden from competing under their national flags. Instead, they participate under a neutral banner.
Additionally, Russian athletes who publicly support the war or serve in the military are not allowed to compete. However, enforcement of this rule has been inconsistent. Many international sporting federations have barred Russian athletes from their events, preventing them from qualifying for the Olympics.
Moscow has denounced these restrictions as unjust and discriminatory. Meanwhile, those who support the ban argue that Russia’s push to reintegrate its athletes into global competitions is a strategic effort to break its diplomatic isolation and restore its international reputation.
The next Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. Last December, Degtyarev expressed confidence that Russian athletes would return by then, telling state media outlet TASS: “I’m sure our team will be fully prepared.”













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