Russian athletes to compete under national flag at judo events starting this weekend

“Athletes have no responsibility for the decisions of governments or other national institutions, and it is our duty to protect the sport and our athletes.” the federation said.

Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 2022, many athletes were banned from entering competitions.

The Russian Olympic Committee has been suspended since 2023 by the International Olympic Committee for breaking the Olympic charter by using an administrative land grab to incorporate regional sports bodies in occupied eastern Ukraine.

Russians will be allowed to compete at next year’s Milan-Cortina Winter Games but the IOC will maintain the system it used at the 2024 Paris Games, permitting them to compete only as individual neutral athletes.

Sergey Soloveychik, president of the Russian judo federation, praised what he called an “historic decision."

"Thanks to the IJF for this long-awaited, fair and courageous decision,” he added in a statement.

The IJF said it had previously reinstated full national representation for Belarusian athletes. Belarus allowed Moscow to use its territory as a staging ground for the invasion of Ukraine and later allowed the deployment of tactical nuclear missiles.

The IJF added that it now considers “appropriate to allow the participation of Russian athletes under equal conditions,” emphasizing that the sport “cannot allow itself to become a platform for geopolitical agendas.”

“Historically, Russia has been a leading nation in world judo, and their full return is expected to enrich competition at all levels while upholding the IJF’s principles of fairness, inclusivity and respect,” it added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is a keen judoka and attended the sport at the 2012 London Olympics.

Soon after Russia started its invasion, Putin lost his most senior official position in world sports.

The IJF cited “the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine” for suspending Putin’s honorary president status and Soloveychik, who at the time was president of the European Judo Union, resigned from his post.

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