Overview
- World Gymnastics’ executive committee lifted all restrictions Monday, allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their flags and anthems with immediate effect.
- The reversal applies across artistic, rhythmic, trampoline, acrobatic and aerobic gymnastics and reopens team entries and the path to qualify for Los Angeles 2028.
- Upcoming starts include the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Cup in Bulgaria on May 29-31 and the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam, which feed Olympic qualification.
- World Gymnastics said the move reflects equal treatment for athletes and a separation of sport from politics, going further than recent IOC advice on Russia.
- Russian sports leaders welcomed the ruling, while the wider sports landscape remains split, with some federations restoring participation and countries like Norway and Poland resisting events that include these teams.