Russia was one of the more successful countries in volleyball for many years. The men’s team captured the 2012 Olympic gold and consecutive Volleyball Nations League championships in 2018 and 2019. Their women’s team won back-to-back FIVB World Championship golds in 2006 and 2010. But in 2022, Russia was suspended from international volleyball. Now, after four years away, Russia is officially back, and its return has already shaken up the world rankings, sending Team USA down the order. 

On July 8, the International Volleyball Federation announced that Russian athletes, national teams, and technical officials would once again be eligible to participate in FIVB and official international competitions. As part of the decision, Russia’s national teams were restored to the rankings with the same points they held when their standings were frozen in 2022. And the impact was immediately seen.

Russia’s men’s national team came back straight to World No. 3 with 352.10 points, just behind Poland with 377.54 points and Italy with 367.53 points. The return moved Team USA back to fourth place in the rankings, followed by Japan and Slovenia. 

The women’s team also made an instant return to the top ten. Russia re-entered at World No. 9 with 277.59 points. Ahead of them are Italy with 466.33 points, Brazil with 429.96, Türkiye with 369.03, the United States with 358.72, Poland with 341.27, Japan with 335.35, China with 325.11 and the Netherlands with 293.14.

Interestingly, the reinstatement comes after a significant shift in policy by the International Olympic Committee. The IOC lifted the ban on Russian athletes earlier this month and suggested that the limits be removed from the previous international sports federations. The IOC stated that sportspeople must not be punished for their governments’ misconduct, but must still abide by anti-doping rules, for which the athletes were banned from representing their flags in 2018. 

On the basis of those recommendations, the FIVB decided to reinstate the Russian team’s participation in international volleyball tournaments. So far, there is no official confirmation about the exact date for the return of Russian national teams to competitions. Their reintroduction, however, is a timely one. The upcoming European Championship, which is scheduled for August and September, serves as a qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

For many within Russian volleyball, the decision was a moment worth celebrating after four years.

Russian Volleyball athletes celebrate return to the global stage

The Russian Volleyball Federation president, Stanislav Shevchenko, welcomed the news and revealed that the Federation had worked towards this for years.

“We’ve been waiting for this, we’ve been working on it, we’re happy and ready to participate in all competitions under the auspices of the International Volleyball Federation. And most importantly, we’ve been cleared with the same ranking points we had at the time of our suspension,” Shevchenko said in a statement.

Russian players were equally excited as the news spread across social media. Star outside hitter Arina Fedorovtseva playfully asked fans, “Did you miss us?”, with a smiley and a heart emoji, while Marina Markova shared a repost with the caption, “Guess who’s back?!” Dmitry Volkov hinted at what lies ahead by writing, “Coming soon.”

Some Olympic questions remain unresolved, however, despite the return to international competitions. The IOC has not yet confirmed whether Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under their national flag, wear official Russian uniforms, or have the Russian anthem played at future Olympic Games. Those decisions are expected to be made at a later date.

The IOC said its decision came after a review by its Legal Affairs Commission, which determined that the Russian Olympic Committee no longer includes regional sports organizations located in territories that fall under the jurisdiction of Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee.