Officials at the Russian Curling Federation, led by President Dmitry Svishchev, urged international action from the United Nations regarding the events unfolding at the Olympic Games, calling the situation a grave affront to human rights and press freedom, and describing the Games as unusually hostile to open scrutiny.
Svishchev asserted that the UN should step in to address what he framed as a troubling pattern at the Games. His remarks emphasized a perceived erosion of fundamental freedoms during the Olympic period and reflected broader concerns about how information surrounding the event was being managed and presented to the public.
The Olympic Games began on July 26 and are scheduled to run through August 11. The opening ceremony took place on the Seine River on July 26, with extensive live coverage following the events online. Athletes from Russia and Belarus participated in the Games as neutral competitors and did not attend the opening ceremony, consistent with the IOC’s stance on those nations since February 2022 due to the broader geopolitical situation. To compete, neutral athletes were required to meet a set of conditions and demonstrate eligibility through established qualification processes, highlighting the ongoing debate over how neutral status should be applied in high-profile international sports.
Earlier, Dmitry Medvedev criticized the opening ceremony, describing it as an embarrassing spectacle. The comments arrived amid ongoing discussions about the role of politics in sport and the impact of sanctions and neutral participation on the experience and perception of the Games.