The press service of the Russian Olympic Committee issued a statement on its official platform criticizing the Court of Arbitration for Sport decision that bars the Russian Olympic team from Paris 2024. The communication frames the CAS ruling as more than a sports verdict; it views it as a signal of discrimination against Russian athletes and participants in sport that extends beyond the arena of competition into the broader Olympic program and the sport community at large.
The statement argues that the CAS decision exposes a pattern of civil and sporting discrimination against Russians that has grown as the Games approach. It contends that the measures are not isolated but reflect a wider trend affecting athletes, coaches, and national sport federations across multiple levels of the sports world, including development programs, national training centers, and youth pathways that feed into elite competition.
According to the release, the International Olympic Committee announced a suspension of the Russian Olympic Council until further notice, citing the acknowledgement of four regional Olympic councils linked to territories identified by the Russian federation. The notice is presented as a formal action tied to ongoing geopolitical developments and the organization’s alignment with international standards governing Olympic participation and governance within member nations.
Earlier, the IOC had urged international sports federations to restrict Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in global events due to the situation in Ukraine. The outcome of this guidance has seen many athletes primarily competing at domestic or local levels since that time, a shift described in the ROC statement as part of a broader pattern of exclusion from major international competitions that also affects training continuity and access to high-level competition opportunities.
In its broader context, the ROC press release sits within ongoing debates about how international sports bodies respond to geopolitically charged conflicts and how those responses affect athletes who train for years to compete on the world stage. The document argues that the current policy environment undermines athletes’ opportunities to demonstrate their skills at the highest levels while noting that restrictions have implications for national pride, the stability of training programs, and the international sports discourse around fairness, inclusion, and the right of athletes to compete on a level playing field.
The discussion around these measures forms part of a larger dialogue about how governing bodies enforce eligibility rules during times of political tension. Observers note that such decisions influence not only who qualifies for a given event but also the structure of national sports programs, the funding landscape, and the pathways for emerging talent within Russia. The ROC emphasizes that its athletes continue to pursue high standards of excellence within the current policy framework and remains steadfast in advocating for fair treatment in international sport while highlighting the resilience of their coaching staff, development programs, and athletes who train under varying conditions to maintain readiness for global opportunities.
In related context, rhythmic gymnastics remains a strong area for Russia, with athletes such as the Averina sisters widely recognized as world champions in their discipline. The press statement, while focusing on eligibility and participation, acknowledges the depth of achievement in Russian rhythmic gymnastics and the broader implications for team representation on the Olympic stage. The overall message is framed as a call for equitable consideration within the international sports community and a reminder of the lengthy preparation behind Olympic aspirations, even amid dispute and policy disagreement. This perspective is echoed by supporters and critics alike as part of the ongoing effort to balance competitive integrity with the rights of athletes to compete and be recognized on the global stage, and it is attributed to the ROC press release as well as IOC policy summaries.