Only 15 Russian athletes will compete at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games under a neutral flag. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has published the final list of athletes who will take part in the event between July 26 and August 11.
Despite having been admitted, Dozens of Russian athletes have decided not to participate in the GamesOne of the requirements imposed by the organizers is that the athletes do not publicly support the invasion of Ukraine.
Russian athletes will not participate in team tournaments, They will not be able to carry national symbols and their national anthem will not be played during competitions. In December 2023, the IOC allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate among the 4,600 athletes at the Olympic Games, but under strict conditions.
In addition to not showing support for the invasion of Ukraine, the athletes They must not be part of any military structurewhich is a significant impediment since many Russian athletes are linked to clubs sponsored by the military or security agencies, such as CSKA and Dynamo.
This is the Russia is unable to participate in the Olympics for the second time as a country. At Tokyo 2021, Russian athletes competed under a neutral flag due to sanctions imposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency following a government doping programme.
Russian athletes to take part in Paris Olympics
Initially, the IOC had preselected 11 Russian athletes. In the end, 15 will compete for the 54 places granted by the international body. The confirmed athletes include:
- Tennis players: Daniil Medvedev, Pavel Kotov, Roman Safiullin, Yekaterina Alexandrova, Mirra Andreyeva, Diana Shnider and Yelena Vesnina.
- Cyclists: Tamara Dronova, Aliona Ivanchenko and Gleb Syritsa.
- Canoeists: Zakhar Petrov, Alexei Korovashkov and Olesya Romasenko.
- Swimmer: Yevgeny Somov.
- Trampoline gymnast: Anzhela Bladtseva.
In addition, 16 athletes from Belarus, which served as a staging post for the offensive against Ukraine, will also compete under a neutral flag.
The athletes who rejected the invitation
Others 21 Russian athletes who had been admitted have decided not to participate at the Olympic Games. Among them, a dozen wrestlers, except for Veronica Chumikova, initially accepted the invitation to Paris. The last to withdraw was Shamil Mamedov, bronze medallist at the 2023 World Championships in freestyle wrestling, who claimed injury as his reason for not competing.
The Russian Wrestling Federation made a public call for none of its members to participate in the GamesAccording to the organization, a “unanimous decision” was made on July 6 not to attend Paris 2024 along with the invited athletes and the coaching staff of the national freestyle, women’s and Greco-Roman wrestling teams.
Kremlin response
The Kremlin has sought alternatives to the Olympics to show that it is not isolated. One of the proposals was Organize World Friendship Games in Septemberbut the event has been postponed until 2025.
Another option was the BRICS Games in Kazan in Junealthough the tournament did not have much impact due to its low level of competition. For example, four-time world synchronized swimming champion Alexander Maltsev won two golds: one in an event with no competitors and another in a competition in which only Thailand’s Kantinan Adisaisiributr was present.
Despite restrictions and defections, 15 Russian athletes will compete in the Paris Olympics under a neutral flag, reflecting the complicated political and sporting situation facing the country.