Sports authorities in Ukraine asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday to investigate the “neutrality” of Russian athletes they accused of having ties to the military or taking part in events that violated Olympic sanctions.
The IOC allowed a small number of athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games without national flags or anthems, subject to review.
This includes conditions that the athletes must not be linked to the military or have supported Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
An appeal signed by Ukraine’s Sports Minister Matvii Bidny and National Olympic Committee Head Vadym Guttsait said they had gathered evidence that some athletes ignored recommendations set by the IOC in 2023 – more than a year after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The appeal specifically cited “violations of order” in the sport of climbing and its governing body, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC).
“The Ukrainian side has provided evidence of a direct link between the number of athletes and the military structures of the invading country,” the statement said.
