The IOC Executive Board approved three sporting nationality changes ahead of the LA28 Olympic Games during its meeting in Lausanne on June 22.
Maya Leopold (Israel to Uruguay), Nora Lindahl (Sweden to Finland), and Carolina Stutchbury (Great Britain to USA) were granted permission to compete for their new nations.
The IOC also waived the standard three-year waiting period for all three athletes under Rule 41 of the Olympic Charter after receiving approval from the relevant federations and national Olympic committees.
IOC Executive Board Approves Three Athletes’ Changes Of Sporting Nationality For The LA28 Olympic Games
On June 22, during its meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) accepted three applications for athletes’ changes of sporting nationality, in accordance with Rule 41 of the Olympic Charter.
Summary
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board has approved three applications for changes of sporting nationality ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28), following its meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on June 22.
Acting in accordance with Rule 41 of the Olympic Charter, the IOC sanctioned nationality changes for three athletes across judo, athletics and fencing. The decisions were made after receiving the necessary approvals from the respective International Federations and National Olympic Committees involved.
The approved nationality changes are:
Maya Leopold (Judo) – from Israel to Uruguay
Nora Lindahl (Athletics) – from Sweden to Finland
Carolina Stutchbury (Fencing) – from Great Britain to the United States
In all three cases, the IOC Executive Board granted an exemption from the standard three-year waiting period required for athletes changing sporting nationality. The exemptions were approved under Bye-law 2 to Rule 41 of the Olympic Charter, which allows the IOC to waive the waiting period under special circumstances when all relevant sporting bodies agree.
The decisions mean the athletes will be eligible to represent their new nations in future Olympic qualification events and potentially at the LA28 Olympic Games, provided they meet all qualification criteria set by their respective sports.
Nationality changes remain a closely monitored aspect of international sport, particularly in the lead-up to the Olympics, where athletes often seek new competitive opportunities or represent countries with which they have strong personal, familial or residency ties. The IOC's latest ruling ensures that the three athletes can continue their Olympic ambitions under their newly approved sporting nationalities.
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