Russian sports minister hopes Russian athletes can return to int'l competitions in 2023

MOSCOW. Dec 27 (Interfax) - The signals of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international federations offer the hope of the return of Russian athletes to international competitions, Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said.

"We hope that our athletes can participate in international competitions starting in 2023. There have been positive signals from the IOC and international federations," Matytsin said on the Rossiya 24 television channel.

In February 2022, the IOC recommended that international federations suspend Russian and Belarusian athletes in light of the situation in Ukraine. The majority of federations complied with the recommendation.