MOSCOW, Sep 16 U.S. Olympic Committee chief Suzanne Lyons said the International The Olympic Committee (IOC) is thinking about the return of Russian athletes to international competitions and noted that this will inevitably happen. The IOC at the end of February recommended that international sports federations not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in competitions due to the situation in Ukraine. A number of international federations have followed this recommendation.» We know that the IOC is starting to think about whether it is possible to return Russian athletes. They have begun to contact all interested parties to get information on this topic. I think we all feel at some point that individual athletes should not be victims of any government policy or tensions that exist around the world.I think there will inevitably be a desire for athletes living in Russia to return and compete, but the timing and how this will look remains to be determined,» Lyons was quoted as saying by Reuters. September 8, IOC communications director Mark Adams said that all IOC protective measures and sanctions against Russians continue to apply.
