At least nine of the 33 ostensibly neutral Russian athletes allowed to participate in the upcoming Paris Olympic Games visited occupied Crimea, took part in propaganda tournaments, or allegedly support Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, according to an investigation released by the Babel media outlet on July 3.
An investigation of the social media activity of another five athletes indicated that they also support the war, Babel said.
The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled in December 2023 that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) with "strict eligibility conditions."
Under the rules, Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be able to participate as teams nor display any flags or any official identification with either country. Athletes or support personnel who have openly supported the war will not be allowed, nor will anyone who has served or is affiliated with either the military or security organizations of Russia or Belarus.
The nine athletes in question publicly acknowledged visiting occupied Crimea or taking part in tournaments that promote Russia's full-scale war. One athlete, the wrestler Nachyn Mongush, reportedly served in the Russian army previously, in direct violation of the rules laid out by the IOC.
Russia was officially banned from competing in the Olympics for four years in 2019 due to systematic doping practices, but it still participated in 2020 and 2022 under the flag of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).
The ROC was suspended in October 2023 for declaring authority over the athletic organizations of Russian-occupied Ukraine.
Ukraine has called for barring Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Paris games altogether, even under a neutral banner.
Chris York
(Updated: )
