Russian Athletes Set to Return for Los Angeles 2028!

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), effective July 7, ending the three-year suspension.

As a result, Russian athletes are expected to be eligible to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, provided they meet all relevant anti-doping requirements.
The IOC also stated that its previous recommendations to International Federations regarding the participation of Russian athletes are no longer applicable.

However, the IOC has not yet decided whether Russia will be allowed to compete under its national flag, colors, and anthem at LA 2028, and also confirmed that it will not hold sporting events in Russia.

What does this mean for Russian volleyball?
The return of Russian volleyball teams to international competition will ultimately depend on decisions by the FIVB and the CEV, as both organizations set their own participation policies.
Recently, the FIVB lifted its ban on Russian youth national teams, while the CEV reinstated both Belarusian senior and youth national teams to its competitions. Whether Russia’s senior national teams will also return to FIVB and CEV events remains subject to future decisions by those governing bodies.

Either way, It will be very interesting to see Russia compete in the VNL again once they return from their international ban.
The Russian men’s national team has always been a force to be reckoned with in the VNL, winning back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019.
In the inaugural 2018 VNL, Russia swept host nation France 3-0 in the final to claim the championship. They successfully defended their title in 2019, defeating host nation United States 3-1 in the final to become the first back-to-back VNL champions.

The women’s national team, however, has had a more difficult time in the competition. Their best VNL finishes were 8th place in 2018 and 2021, while they recorded a disappointing 14th-place finish in 2019.

Russia’s possible return to international volleyball competitions could also reignite the debate over the FIVB World Ranking system.
From a sporting perspective, the country’s prolonged absence from international competition has, so far, had no impact on the Russian national teams’ ranking positions, as their ranking points have remained frozen since 2022, when they were suspended following the invasion of Ukraine.
In theory, Russia would return to international competition without having incurred any ranking penalty despite four years of inactivity.
However, the FIVB regulations state that national federations are subject to a 50-point deduction after two years of inactivity in events that count toward the World Ranking. A federation is considered active if it participates in any international, continental or zonal event, at either senior or age-group level, in both indoor volleyball and beach volleyball.

In the men’s ranking, Russia would resume competition with the 352.00 points frozen in 2022. Based on the current FIVB World Ranking, that total would immediately place the team third in the world, ahead of the United States, Japan, Slovenia, Brazil and every other national team below them.
Germany, currently ranked 10th with 256.59 points, would consequently drop out of the Top 10.

In the women’s ranking, Russia would restart with 277.59 points, a total that would currently be enough for ninth place, behind the Netherlands and ahead of Germany.

It will be interesting to see how both teams perform when they eventually return to international competition!

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