International organization facing potential penalties: Nation under investigation by Olympic Committee
Bulgaria's National Olympic Committee (NOC) finds itself in a tense situation ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, with the internal affairs of the local committee yet to be resolved. Vesela Lecheva, the current head of NOC Bulgaria, has been urging her team to meet the conditions set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to avoid potential sanctions.
Lecheva's warning comes after a scandal that was revealed by the Bulgarian portal Sportal.bg, which has put the election results in question. The former head of the NOC, Stefka Kostadinova, is urged to meet the conditions set by the IOC, or the Bulgarian athletes may be barred from competing under the national flag at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The situation within the committee remains tense, with the former leadership of the NOC of Bulgaria reportedly not meeting the requirements presented by the IOC. Lecheva has warned of possible sanctions from the IOC, with one of the possible penalties for violations being a ban on participation under the Bulgarian flag.
Meanwhile, the 2026 Winter Olympics will take place from February 6 to 22 in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. A total of 210 licenses have been allocated for the event, with 186 already distributed based on the nations' positions in the Nation's Cup. The remaining 24 spots will be contested during the Olympic season and will go to athletes who accumulate the most qualifying points.
In a separate development, a new addition from Southern Europe is being prepared in Belarusian and Russian clubs. However, the current president of the Belarusian National Olympic Committee is not explicitly named in the search results. Despite this, Belarusian athletes with neutral status have been approved to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo under the 2024 conditions.
It is worth noting that athletes cannot participate in qualifying events in a neutral status, which effectively means that Belarusian biathletes, like Russians, cannot qualify for the 2026 Olympics, despite the IOC's recommendation for possible participation under a neutral flag.
Lecheva was elected as the head of NOC Bulgaria in March, defeating Stefka Kostadinova in the elections. As the 2026 Winter Olympics approach, Lecheva and the NOC of Bulgaria will have to address the challenges they face to ensure Bulgarian athletes can compete under the national flag in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
