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when did russia get banned from the olympics

Russia’s first major modern ban from the Olympics came in December 2019 , when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) barred Russia from the Olympics and other major events for four years over a state-backed doping scandal.

Quick Scoop: What actually happened?

The story is a bit layered, because Russia hasn’t been “banned once and that’s it” – it has gone through overlapping sanctions and status changes.

1. The doping ban (starting 2019)

  • On 9 December 2019, WADA voted to ban Russia from the Olympics and other major international events for four years after finding that anti-doping data from Moscow had been manipulated.
  • This punishment was meant to keep Russia’s flag, anthem, and team name out of:
    • Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021)
    • Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics
    • Other world championships and major events.
  • Individual Russian athletes who could prove they were clean were allowed to compete, but only as neutrals under a generic designation (not as “Russia”).

Later, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced that four‑year ban to two years , but the core idea stayed: no Russian flag, anthem, or official “Team Russia” at the Olympics during that period.

In everyday terms: Russia as a country was pushed off the Olympic stage starting from that 2019 decision, while some athletes slipped back in under a neutral banner.

2. From “Russia” to “ROC”

Because of the doping sanctions, Russia’s National Olympic Committee couldn’t be fully recognized in the usual way, so at recent Games Russian athletes competed under the “ROC” (Russian Olympic Committee) label instead of “Russia”.

  • At multiple Games (two Summer and two Winter in a row), Russia was not present as a normal national team.
  • Athletes:
    • Used neutral uniforms and symbols
    • Did not hear the Russian anthem on the podium
    • Were officially listed under ROC, not Russia.

3. The war in Ukraine and the new ban

Then came a second, different layer of punishment:

  • In February 2022 , Russia invaded Ukraine shortly after the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics ended.
  • In March 2022 , the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that international federations exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes and teams from their events because of the invasion.
  • In October 2023 , the IOC went further and suspended the Russian Olympic Committee after it took over sports bodies in Russian‑occupied Ukrainian territories, calling it a breach of the Olympic Charter.
* This suspension cut off IOC funding.
* It also meant Russia could not send a national team to upcoming Games such as Paris 2024.

As a result, by the mid‑2020s:

  • Russia’s teams remain banned from events like the 2026 Winter Olympics as teams, although some individual athletes with Russian passports may still appear as “Individual Neutral Athletes” if they meet strict conditions and are not linked to the war or military structures.

4. So… “when did Russia get banned from the Olympics?”

Depending on what you mean:

  • If you mean the modern, headline “Russia banned from Olympics” moment for many people:
    • December 2019 – WADA’s four‑year doping ban decision.
  • If you mean the current geopolitical ban connected to the war in Ukraine:
    • The practical exclusion started with IOC recommendations in March 2022 and was solidified when the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee in October 2023.

In other words, the answer is less a single date and more a timeline of escalating sanctions.

5. Why this is still a trending topic

  • The Paris 2024 Olympics and the 2026 Winter Games are happening under this cloud, with Russia absent as a national team but some neutral athletes potentially allowed in.
  • Fans and forum posts keep asking “Is Russia banned?” because:
    • The rules distinguish between teams vs. individual neutrals.
    • The reasons shifted from doping to war and Olympic Charter violations.

You’ll often see people online simplify it to “Russia is banned from the Olympics,” but behind that one line is a long saga of doping scandals, legal appeals, and now geopolitical fallout. TL;DR: Russia’s modern Olympic ban story really kicks off with WADA’s decision on 9 December 2019 over state‑run doping, and then evolves into a broader exclusion after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the IOC’s 2023 suspension of Russia’s Olympic Committee.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.