OLYMPIC GAMES: Ukraine asks IOC to examine 'neutral' status of Russian athletes

Sports authorities in Ukraine have called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to review the “neutral” status of Russian athletes, accusing some of having links to the military or participating in events that violate Olympic sanctions.

The IOC allowed a limited number of athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milan Winter Games under a neutral status, with no flags or anthems, and subject to strict vetting. The rules prohibited athletes from having ties to the military or from supporting Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

In an appeal submitted on Wednesday, Ukrainian Sports Minister Matvii Bidny and National Olympic Committee head Vadym Guttsait said they had compiled evidence showing that some athletes had disregarded IOC recommendations issued in 2023, more than a year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

The appeal specifically highlighted “systematic violations” in sports climbing and the sport’s governing body, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (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 read.

Officials named several athletes they allege had military ties, supported the invasion, or trained in Crimea, which Russia seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The appeal also cited an international competition held in Moscow last November under the International Military Sports Council (CISM), calling it a breach 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.

Ukraine is urging the IOC and the IFSC to conduct a thorough review and suspend the individuals in question from international competitions.

Some sports organizations have relaxed restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes. The International Paralympic Committee recently allowed athletes from both countries to compete in Italy with their flags and anthems, sparking protests from Ukraine and other nations.

-Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Lincoln Feast/Reuters