The International Olympic Committee has told Olympic sports bodies they no longer need to vet Russian athletes to compete as neutrals, a change that lets teams enter qualification tournaments for the Los Angeles Olympics.Several federations, including World Athletics, continue to exclude Russian and Belarusian competitors and leading football governing bodies are still reviewing the guidance, while World Aquatics has already eased restrictions and youth events have invited Russian teams under their flags.Kirsty Coventry and International Olympic Committee officials set conditions — no military ties, strict anti-doping checks and monitoring of the
Russian Olympic Committee — but Kremlin spokesmen and
Russia's sports minister welcomed the decision and Ukrainian officials and advocacy groups condemned it.