Russian athletes banned from TV and opening at Paris Olympics

In Russia, the Olympics are not broadcast on television, and some politicians and media have labeled athletes competing in Paris as traitors.

According to a report on Euronews, this environment creates a tense atmosphere for athletes, including teenagers, who are cautious about discussing politics or the ongoing war.

Fifteen Russian athletes are participating as "Individual Neutral Athletes" due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They are barred from the Olympic opening ceremony and have faced mixed reactions in the Olympic Village and within Russia.

Russian tennis players Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva recently won the first medal for Russian athletes at the Paris Olympics, securing silver in women’s doubles. They stood on the podium in green-and-white tracksuits, with a green flag displaying the acronym AIN (Individual Neutral Athlete).

The Ukrainian government and Olympic Committee had sought the exclusion of Russian athletes from international sports, opposing their participation as neutrals. Although Ukraine initially boycotted qualifying events, it later participated to ensure representation at the Games. The conflict has severely impacted Ukrainian sports, with over 3,000 athletes and coaches involved in the war and nearly 500 casualties reported by the Ukrainian Sports Ministry.

This year’s Olympic Games in Paris feature only 140 Ukrainian athletes, the smallest summer delegation in the nation's history. Activists have scrutinized Russian athletes' social media for posts supporting the war. After a recent loss, Shnaider declined to discuss political matters.

Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchich criticized the inclusion of neutral athletes, questioning how competitors from a nation engaged in conflict could participate in a peace-centric event.

Among the 32 neutral athletes in Paris, 17 previously represented Belarus and 15 represented Russia. The last Summer Olympics in Tokyo had over 300 Russian competitors. Some Russian athletes skipped qualifying events or withdrew from the Games under pressure, as revealed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Statistics from Norwegian broadcaster NRK show that at least 82 athletes in Paris were born in Russia, with over 60 competing for other nations, including those who moved abroad or changed allegiances since the invasion.

[Information sourced from Euronews]