FISU lifts restrictions on Belarusian athletes
09:34, 27 May
The Executive Committee of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) has decided to immediately reinstate the participation of student-athletes holding Belarusian passports in all competitions, BelTA has learned from FISU’s official website.
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The decision to allow Belarusian athletes to return was made in accordance with the IOC recommendations of 7 May 2026. The situation regarding Russian student-athletes is more complex. The IOC has not lifted its restrictions on older Russian athletes but recommends that young athletes should not be held responsible for the actions of their governments. Moreover, an increasing number of international federations are lifting restrictions on top-level Russian athletes, while others continue to maintain them.
In this context, FISU has adopted a unified selection system for Russian student-athletes. Under this system, direct exclusion of Russians solely on the basis of nationality is considered disproportionate and incompatible with FISU’s educational mission. The conditions of neutrality remain in place: participation without national symbols.
