Ukraine’s sports authorities on Wednesday urged the International Olympic Committee to review the “neutral” status granted to certain Russian athletes, alleging some have ties to the military or have competed in events that breach Olympic sanctions.
The IOC cleared a limited number of athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milan Winter Games under strict neutrality rules, barring national flags and anthems and requiring thorough eligibility checks.
Those conditions explicitly prohibit athletes with military affiliations or those who supported Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In a formal appeal, Ukrainian Sports Minister Matvii Bidny and National Olympic Committee president Vadym Guttsait said they had gathered evidence suggesting some competitors violated IOC guidelines introduced in 2023.
The appeal pointed to what it described as “systematic violations,” particularly in sport climbing and within its governing body, the International Federation of Sport Climbing.
“The Ukrainian side has provided evidence of direct links between a number of athletes and the military structures of the aggressor state,” the statement said.
It cited several athletes officials alleged had links to the military, supported the invasion or had trained in Crimea, which Russia seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
It also said an international competition was held in Moscow last November under the auspices of the International Military Sports Council, in violation of IOC rules.
“This confirms the involvement of Russian military structures in the international sports movement with the aim of legitimizing Russia’s aggressive policy,” the appeal said.
“The Ukrainian side calls on the leadership of the IOC and the IFSC to conduct a comprehensive review of these facts and to suspend the individuals in question from international competitions.”
Some sports bodies have eased restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes. The International Paralympic Committee allowed athletes from the two countries to compete at the recent games in Italy with anthems and flags, drawing protests from Ukraine and other countries.
