Russian athletes face a neutral challenge amid Paris controversies

At the Olympic Games in Paris, 15 Russian athletes compete under a neutral flag. They have the status of “individual neutral athletes” due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Their presence is a source of controversy both in the Olympic village and in Russia, where some view the participation of these athletes as a betrayal.

Athletes competing in Paris must navigate a difficult political situation. Many of them are reluctant to discuss the war or politics.

Russian tennis player Diana Shnaider, who won a silver medal in the women's doubles, emphasises that family support is most important to her.

My family is proud of me. That’s all that matters to me, stated Shnaider, who is already accustomed to competing internationally without the Russian flag.

There are still a lot of people from my country in the stands and they are still putting in a lot of support. I heard words of encouragement today, said Shnaider after winning Thursday’s quarter-final.

Anzhela Bladtceva, a 19-year-old trampoline gymnast, also stresses that in the Olympic village, no one asked her about the war. Everyone focused only on positive questions. There are so many emotions, so many people, everyone is so kind and happy and so helpful, she emphasised.

Out of 32 “neutral” athletes in Paris, only 15 represent Russia. This is a significant drop compared to over 300 Russians at the last Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The International Olympic Committee introduced stringent restrictions, prohibiting athletes associated with the military or publicly supporting the invasion of Ukraine from participating. Additionally, Russians were banned from team events and athletics, even though the IOC allowed them to compete under neutral colours.

Shnaider and tennis player Mirra Andreeva's silvers are the first medals for Russian athletes at these games. They stood on the podium in green and white outfits, and above them, a green flag with the abbreviation AIN—an acronym of the French term for Individual Neutral Athletes—was raised.

When a neutral athlete wins a gold medal, a specially composed anthem is played, more reminiscent of an inspirational music track than a national anthem.

The Ukrainian government and Olympic committee sought to exclude Russian athletes from international competitions, opposing their participation even under “neutral athletes.” According to them, the limited presence of Russians is “nothing,” as stated by the head of the Ukrainian Olympic delegation in an interview with the Associated Press. Ultimately, the Ukrainian side dropped the boycott regarding the participation of Russians to be able to participate in the Games.

Moreover, Ukrainian activists collected information from Russian athletes’ social media and then reported posts supporting the war to the IOC. Suspicion about changing citizenship among Russian athletes is also widespread among Ukrainians.