Russia to host first Olympic federation world event since Ukraine invasion

ByCraig Nelson BBC Sport Journalist.

Key points

• Some Russian athletes competed at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and this year's Winter Olympics in Milan as neutrals.
• The 2025 World Aquatics Championships, initially awarded to the Russian city of Kazan, were instead moved to Singapore.
• The IOC's subsequent decision potentially opened the way for Russian athletes to compete for their country at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
• Five Ukrainian athletes are listed to compete in the 2026 IWF World Championships in Ningbo, China.
• In July, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally lifted a suspension on the Russian Olympic Committee.

Moscow will host the 2030 World Weightlifting Championships – the first time an Olympic federation has chosen to stage a global event in Russia since the country's invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

For context, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) confirmed its decision on Sunday, four months after confirming Russian athletes would again be eligible to compete in its events.

In July, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally lifted a suspension on the Russian Olympic Committee. That suspension had been imposed after the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Notably, the IOC's subsequent decision potentially opened the way for Russian athletes to compete for their country at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, the IWF confirmed the host cities of four world championships at junior, youth and senior levels, awarding the 2029 senior event to Ahmedabad in India.

"All the bids we received were excellent and we are sure that the championships in your respective countries will be a huge success, " remarked IWF general secretary Jose Quinones.

No world championships in an Olympic sport, summer or winter, have been held in Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, initially awarded to the Russian city of Kazan, were instead moved to Singapore. Moscow has not held the World Weightlifting Championships since 1983.

In practice, the Russian Weightlifting Federation remarked: " the first Olympic sports federation to succeed in bringing a top-level official competition back to the country in many years."

Federation president Aleksandr Vinokurov thanked the IWF in a post on Telegram "for their trust", with the championships additionally serving as a qualifying event for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, Australia.

"Russia has all the necessary experience and capabilities to host competitions of the highest level, " he remarked.

"Moscow has repeatedly staged major international sporting events and has modern infrastructure."

In announcing its decision in July to provisionally lift Russia's suspension, the IOC remarked that no decision had been taken on whether Russia could display their flag, colours and anthem at the Olympic ‌Games.

In practice, the IOC remarked it would continue to "not organise IOC events in Russia or invite Russian government or state officials to its events".

Ukraine filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) requesting that the IOC decision to lift its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee be annulled.

In practice, the IOC's move decision came after the International Paralympic Committee had already concluded Russia's exile from global sports events, with the country's athletes allowed to compete under their national flag at the Winter Paralympics.

Five Ukrainian athletes are listed to compete in the 2026 IWF World Championships in Ningbo, China. It are scheduled to take place from 27 October to 8 November.

In short, russia to host first Olympic federation world event since Ukraine invasion is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.