The Current Could Russia return to the Olympics?
Feb 13, 2026
Bruce Berglund, historian of Russia and author who studies sport as statecraft, and Georgi Konchev, Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent reporting from Milan. They discuss the IOC signaling a Russian return under its flag. They cover vetting of athletes, nationality switches, political pressure on sports bodies, money and history behind reintegration, and whether competitions suffer without Russia.
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IOC Moves Toward Reintegration
- The IOC is signaling a shift toward reintegrating Russian athletes to keep sports politically neutral and restore competition depth.
- Pressure comes from Russia, allied countries, and sporting bodies that want top talent back and normalization of events.
Multiple Pressures Drive The IOC
- The IOC's stated motive is depoliticizing sport, but Georgi Konchev notes multiple pressures shape the shift.
- Bringing back Russia restores talent and responds to political and institutional lobbying.
Neutral Russian Athletes' Restricted Participation
- Georgi Konchev described how only a very small number of Russian athletes pass vetting to compete as neutrals.
- These athletes have no flag, anthem, or medal-table recognition at the Games.
