--- description: The International Olympic Committee said it "welcomes and fully supports" the ban on Russia's track and field team from the Summer Olympics title: Olympic Committee Supports Ban on Russian Track and Field Team image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c03e456380c4137/69889870428a9ea7e6cd317b/rio-olympic-games-russia.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # International Olympic Committee 'Fully Supports' Ban on Russian Track and Field Team  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 18, 2016 1:58 PM CUT  A graffiti with the logo of the Olympic Games on a wall of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 4, 2016. A graffiti with the logo of the Olympic Games on a wall of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 4, 2016.Yasuyoshi Chiba—AFP/Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 18, 2016 1:58 PM CUT The International Olympic Committee said it “welcomes and fully supports” the [decision to ban Russia’s track and field team](http://time.com/4373666/russian-athletes-banned-rio-olympics-state-run-doping-program/ "undefined") from competing in the [Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro](http://time.com/4359344/brazil-leonardo-picciani-rio-de-janeiro-olympics/ "undefined") due to revelations about a [state-sponsored doping program](http://time.com/4347184/russia-doping-rio-olympics-ban-track-and-field/ "undefined"). The International Association of Athletics Federations announced the decision to ban Russian athletes on Friday. In a statement released Saturday after a teleconference of IOC executives, the committee said it respects the decision, seemingly eliminating the possibility that it would try to change or overrule the ban, the Associated Press reported. “The eligibility of athletes in any international competition including the Olympic Games is a matter for the respective international federation,” the statement said. The IOC also said it would expand efforts to ensure “a level playing field” for all Olympic athletes this summer, the AP reported. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4374045/olympic-committee-rio-russia-track-and-field/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4374045/olympic-committee-rio-russia-track-and-field/"},"headline":"International Olympic Committee 'Fully Supports' Ban on Russian Track and Field Team","datePublished":"2016-06-18T13:58:25.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T22:41:51.590Z","description":"The decision came after revelations about a state-sponsored doping program","url":"https://time.com/4374045/olympic-committee-rio-russia-track-and-field/","keywords":["russia","olympics"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c03e456380c4137/69889870428a9ea7e6cd317b/rio-olympic-games-russia.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katie Reilly","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c03e456380c4137/69889870428a9ea7e6cd317b/rio-olympic-games-russia.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TOPSHOT-OLY-2016-RIO-GRAFFITI","caption":"TOPSHOT-OLY-2016-RIO-GRAFFITI","creditText":"Yasuyoshi Chiba—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4374045/olympic-committee-rio-russia-track-and-field/","name":"International Olympic Committee 'Fully Supports' Ban on Russian Track and Field Team"}}]}] ```