The spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, responded to the remarks via a Telegram channel, while IOC President Thomas Bach asserted that sports cannot be separated from politics and should remain politically neutral in principle.
Zakharova emphasized that sport must stand against all forms of discrimination and criticized attempts to distort the spirit of Olympism, arguing that the ideals of fair play and equal opportunity have repeatedly been sidelined or forgotten in recent discussions.
In 2022, amid the invasion of Ukraine, Bach called for international federations to exclude Russian athletes from major events. On January 25, 2023, the IOC signaled it would explore the possibility of letting neutral Russian athletes compete if they did not publicly support the political actions involved, signaling a nuanced approach to participation under neutral status.
Then on October 12, 2023, the IOC announced a suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee until further notice after regional Olympic councils in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson were incorporated into Russia’s federation. The body also noted that it would consider, at an appropriate time, whether Russian athletes could join the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris under any permissible status.
This sequence marked a continuing debate about the role of Russian sports on the international stage and how geopolitical events influence eligibility and representation in global competitions, a topic that remained contentious and closely watched by sports officials and governments alike. For a fuller picture, evaluators are encouraged to consult official IOC statements and subsequent updates from the relevant national committees and federations as the situation evolves, with analyses from independent observers providing context to the evolving policy landscape.