The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday approved changes to the Olympic Charter put forward by its executive board, aimed at strengthening the principle of political neutrality in sport.

The revisions place greater emphasis on keeping sport free from political influence, underscoring the IOC’s responsibility to uphold neutrality "at all times” and shield it from governmental, cultural, societal and economic pressures.

The committee also approved adjustments to how Olympic sports are selected, meaning individual disciplines, rather than entire sports, will be assessed for inclusion in the Summer and Winter Games starting with the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

The IOC said decisions on which events will feature are expected in the coming months or, at the latest, by early next year.

It said the reforms are intended to protect athletes and competitions from external interference and ensure the Olympic Games are not used as a platform for political messaging.

"I think this commitment is about protecting what makes the Olympic Games unique, bringing the world together through sport and peaceful competition,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said.

Asked whether the decision charted a path toward the eventual full participation of Russian athletes, Coventry said the IOC needed time to understand how the changes would be implemented regarding athletes.

Critics said before the meeting that the change could weaken barriers to Russia’s full return to international sport and risked undermining the Olympic movement.

Russian athletes have faced sanctions over a state-backed doping scandal linked to the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, while the IOC recommended in 2022 that Russian and Belarusian athletes be barred from competitions after the invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian Olympic Committee was suspended in October 2023 after recognizing regional Olympic councils in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, which the IOC said violated the Olympic Charter and Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Last month, the IOC lifted all restrictions on Belarusian athletes, clearing the way for them to return to international events, including qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

There has been increased speculation that a similar decision could be made for Russia in the coming months.

Sports Minister and ROC Chairman Mikhail Degtyarev said in April that Russia was "doing everything possible” to ensure its athletes’ full return to international competition.

Money for athletes

The IOC also announced a $10,000 grant for Olympians that any athlete who competes in an edition of the Games can apply for.

It came in response to feedback from athletes who said they wanted more direct support throughout their Olympic journey, said Pau Gasol Saez, chair of the IOC athletes’ commission.

"This is a win for all of us,” he told members.

The IOC also set a target election date of 2029 to decide which country will host the 2036 Olympic Games.

Changes to sports program

Evaluating inclusion in the program by discipline rather than by sport would help safeguard the quality and affordability of the Olympics, IOC member Tony Estanguet told members.

Under the changes, a discipline is defined as one or more events within a sport that require either a dedicated field of play or a significant modification of a shared field of play involving specialized equipment.

For example, while World Aquatics is the international federation overseeing aquatic sports, the Olympic program comprises five disciplines: swimming, diving, artistic swimming, water polo and open-water swimming, IOC sports director Pierre Ducrey told Reuters.

Each discipline would be assessed individually, a move that could open the door to new ones being added.

"There are a lot of sports out there that are dreaming of being on the Olympic program and have never had an opportunity to do so,” Ducrey said.

However, David Lappartient, president of the Union Cycliste Internationale, warned that the approach could put some sports at risk of losing their place.

"If you have to remove a sport from the Olympic program, it has a lot of consequences for the athletes themselves, for the NOCs, for the international federations,” he said, calling for data-driven, not ad hoc, decisions.

The president of the modern pentathlon governing body, Rob Stull, said the move was a "wake-up call” for sports like his to remain relevant and think about future-proofing new generations.

Any sports removed from the program would receive financial assistance during a transition period, the IOC said.

Final decisions will rest with the IOC Session, based on recommendations from the IOC executive board.

Newly included disciplines will remain in the program for a minimum of two Olympic cycles while their performance is assessed.