May 18 (Reuters) - World Gymnastics has lifted all restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes, allowing them to return to international competitions under their national flags with immediate effect, it said on Monday.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, athletes from both nations were banned in March, 2022 but they had been permitted to compete as neutral participants from late 2024.
Gymnastics is not the only sport to ease its restrictions recently. World Aquatics ended its neutral status guidelines in April, allowing senior Russian and Belarusian swimmers to wear their national colours and hear their anthems, and United World Wrestling fully reinstated both nations across all age categories last week.
The reversal applies across all five disciplines governed by World Gymnastics, including artistic, rhythmic, acrobatic and aerobic gymnastics as well as trampolining. Russia has traditionally been a country strong in gymnastics, winning two golds and 10 medals overall at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics competing under the Russian Olympic Committee banner before being banned from the 2024 Paris Games.
World Gymnastics did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Ed Osmond)
