IOC’s Failure to Exclude Russian War Supporters Tarnishes Olympic Integrity
The Paris Olympics, meant to symbolize peace and unity, were overshadowed by the The International Olympic Committee’s failure to prevent Russian athletes, many of whom support the war against Ukraine, from competing. Despite public declarations of neutrality, several Russian athletes with connections to the Russian military or open support for the war participated under a neutral banner.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, global leaders, organizations, and countries quickly condemned the aggression. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was among them, publicly denouncing Russia’s actions and establishing a Solidarity Fund to support Ukrainian athletes. However, as the 2024 Olympics approached, the IOC’s actions did not match its words.
The IOC initially imposed restrictions on Russian athletes, stating that those actively supporting the war could not compete. Additionally, athletes connected to the Russian military or national security agencies were to be barred. Furthermore, Russian athletes could only participate as individual neutrals, and they were excluded from the opening and closing ceremonies.
Yet, despite these measures, the IOC fell short of enforcing its own rules. Human rights group Global Rights Compliance found that 10 Russian athletes had violated the neutrality rules by openly supporting the invasion of Ukraine. The IOC, however, ignored this evidence and allowed these athletes to compete.
The Ukrainian Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine also called for the exclusion of Russian athletes, citing their connections to the war. The IOC disregarded these pleas as well.
As a result, some Russian athletes used the Games to promote their war-supporting views. Tennis players Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, who won silver medals, were among those linked to supporting the war. Andreeva has publicly liked social media posts endorsing the invasion, while Shnaider dodged questions about Russia’s neutrality during the Games.
Other Russian athletes, like cyclist Alyona Ivanchenko and tennis player Elena Vesnina, displayed similar support for the war. Canoeist Aleksei Korovashkov, with ties to Russian security agencies, also competed. These athletes, rather than being neutral, were used by the Russian government as propaganda tools to showcase Russia’s strength.
Image: Vesnina with a birthday message to putin. Photo from open sources.
By allowing these athletes to compete, the IOC failed to uphold its principles, enabling war supporters to participate in an event that should stand for peace.
Moving forward, the IOC must fully bar Russian athletes with any connection to the war from future competitions. This decisive action would send a clear message condemning Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine and prevent the normalization of such behavior on the world stage. If the IOC does not take stronger action, it risks allowing authoritarian regimes to use the Olympics as a platform for propaganda, undermining the integrity of the Games and the values they are meant to represent.
Main photo credit: Artur Widak/NurPhoto