IOC under pressure as Ukraine flags violations by Russian athletes

Ukrainian sports authorities asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to review the “neutral” status of Russian athletes, accusing them of having links to the military or of participating in events that violate Olympic sanctions, Reuters reports.

The IOC allowed a limited number of athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, as well as at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in February 2026, without national flags or anthems, subject to prior screening, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

This authorization specifically stipulates that athletes must not have ties to the military or have supported Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

In an appeal signed by Ukraine’s Minister of Sport, Matvii Bidnyi, and the president of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, Vadym Huttsait, it is stated that the Ukrainian side has gathered evidence showing that some athletes ignored the recommendations issued by the IOC in 2023, more than a year after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The appeal specifically cited “systematic violations” in sport climbing and within the federation governing the discipline, the IFSC.

“The Ukrainian side has provided evidence of direct links between a number of athletes and the military structures of the aggressor state,” the statement said.

Several athletes are mentioned whom Ukrainian authorities claim had ties to the military, supported the invasion, or trained in Crimea, a region seized and annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014.

It also states that an international competition took place in Moscow in November last year under the auspices of CISM (International Military Sports Council), in violation of IOC rules.

“This confirms the involvement of Russian military structures in the international sports movement, with the aim of legitimizing Russia’s aggressive policy,” the appeal said.

“The Ukrainian side calls on the IOC and IFSC leadership to conduct a comprehensive review of these facts and to suspend the individuals concerned from international competitions,” the document added.

Some sports bodies have eased restrictions imposed on Russian and Belarusian athletes. The International Paralympic Committee allowed athletes from the two countries to compete at recent Games in Italy with flags and anthems, prompting protests from Ukraine and other countries.