Equestrian Federation Lifts Russia Ban

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) will lift restrictions on Russian athletes and officials from 5 October. Russia will also once again be allowed to host FEI events, provided it complies with the federation’s rules.

Restrictions on Russian national symbols were introduced following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russian athletes were subsequently allowed to return to some competitions as neutral participants. From October, Russian flags, anthems, colors, uniforms and other national identifiers will once again be permitted.

The decision follows a move by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in July to provisionally lift its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee. The committee was suspended in 2023 after incorporating sports organizations in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.

The Russian Equestrian Federation has provided written confirmation that it does not operate equestrian clubs or develop the sport in Crimea, Sevastopol or the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions. It also confirmed that its official documents contain no references to these territories.

The FEI will continue supporting Ukraine through its Solidarity Relief Fund, established in 2022 to assist the country’s equestrian community.

Several other international sports federations have also eased restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes, including those governing basketball, skiing, swimming, motorsport, modern pentathlon, wrestling and gymnastics.

(Reuters, bak)