At the end of September, Thomas Bach, in a high-profile interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, opened up about the fact that Russian athletes should be allowed to compete internationally again if they distance themselves from the war.
But now the IOC boss seems to have closed that door again.
- The sanctions against Russia and Belarus and their governments must and must remain, Bach said during the National Olympic Committees' (ANOC's) meeting in Seoul on Wednesday.
"Activists should never become political victims"
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, the IOC called on the world's sports federations to ban athletes, managers and delegates from Russia and Belarus from international competitions.
Most sports federations followed the call.
- We did it with very heavy hearts because it was not active and leaders who started the war and they are not responsible for the war.
Activists should never become political victims of their own governments, says Bach in his speech.
Russia and Belarus have been allowed to attend ANOC's meeting, which has upset some nations, including Sweden.
Bach defends it by saying that the decision was taken democratically by a majority in ANOC.