The international governing body for gymnastics stood by its controversial choice to remove all bans on Russian and Belarusian competitors on Tuesday, citing principles of fair treatment and what it called the “true spirit of sport.”
On Monday, the organization announced that competitors from both nations could immediately resume participating in international events while representing their home countries, overturning a ban that had been enforced since March 2022 after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
“The Executive Committee’s decision to lift all restrictions imposed on Russian and Belarusian athletes is based on the principle of equal treatment for all athletes regardless of nationality,” World Gymnastics said in a statement to Reuters.
“World Gymnastics firmly believes that sport and politics must remain separate and that unity and solidarity should prevail at all sporting events.”
The organization further stated that athletic competitions should function as a “neutral platform that brings athletes and nations together in a spirit of fairness, mutual respect and solidarity.”
This ruling covers every discipline under the federation’s authority, including artistic, rhythmic, acrobatic, and aerobic gymnastics, plus trampolining.
Competitors from Russia and Belarus had faced exclusion from international competitions through late 2024, when they gained permission to participate without national identification. This complete policy reversal now permits them to display national symbols and play their anthems, aligning with similar decisions by United World Wrestling and World Aquatics.
Russia has maintained dominance in gymnastics historically, capturing 10 total medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics while competing under the Russian Olympic Committee designation.
