State Duma deputy and Olympic champion in speed skating Svetlana Zhurova weighed in on the question of Russian athletes taking part in international events without a national flag or anthem.
She suggested that behind closed doors, negotiations are ongoing and that a reconciliation with Ukraine could bring the flag and anthem back quickly. In this view, discussing hypothetical solutions and potential boycotts would be premature and unnecessary. The focus should be on staying calm and avoiding actions that would place athletes in a test of loyalty or patriotism, she said, emphasizing that Russian athletes already show strong patriotic sentiment.
The topic gained prominence after the International Olympic Committee signaled openness to letting Russian competitors participate under neutral status if they do not support the wartime actions in Ukraine.
Later, reports indicated that a coalition of 35 countries, including the United States, Germany, and Australia, held an online meeting and asked for a suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Olympics. The group also called for clarifications to determine the exact neutral status for Russians in upcoming events.
In a related note, a former figure in European chess drew attention by criticizing the transfer of the Russian Chess Federation to Asia, calling the move embarrassing and controversial.