MADRID, August 13. /TASS/. The Presidium of the World Dancing Sport Federation (WDSF) has lifted all previously imposed sanctions against Russian athletes that now allows them to compete internationally without any restrictions, the WDSF said in a statement on Thursday.

"This decision follows the official resolution by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 7, 2026 to provisionally lift the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and to confirm that the recommended conditions of participation and associated protective measures issued in 2022 and 2023 are no longer applicable," according to the WDSF.

"All Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) and Official Individual Neutral (OIN) statuses, along with associated screening procedures, declarations and specific participation restrictions established under the Operating Policy, have ceased to have effect," the statement reads.

"Individuals holding Russian passports or sporting nationality will participate in WDSF events under the general regulatory framework applicable to all participants. Entry and eligibility remain subject to the WDSF Statutes, Competition Rules, licensing requirements, disciplinary provisions and anti-doping obligations," the WDSF pointed out in the statement.

"In accordance with the IOC’s recommendation for International Federations to agree with the International Testing Agency (ITA) on an overall testing programme, the WDSF Presidium has simultaneously approved targeted Anti-Doping Testing Standards for athletes holding Russian passports or sporting nationality," the statement added.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a decision on July 7 to provisionally lift an earlier-imposed suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and also recommended lifting restrictions on the participation of Russian athletes in all international tournaments.

IOC previously-imposed sanctions against Russia, Belarus

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to prohibit athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

In late March, 2023, the IOC recommended allowing individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international sports tournaments, but only under specific conditions. Specifically, athletes from the two countries should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status. Russia and Belarus were also banned from participating in international team events.

On October 12, 2023, the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) until further notice after the Russian organization included the Olympic councils of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions as its members.