Russia slams IOC’s ban on athletes from Paris Olympics opening parade

Russia has condemned the International Olympic Committee’s decision to prohibit its athletes from participating in the opening parade of the Paris Olympics in July, labeling it as a departure from the Games’ ethos.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed Russia’s disapproval, stating, “This is of course the destruction of the idea of Olympism, this is an infringement on the interests of Olympic athletes.” He further criticized the IOC, saying, “Of course, this is absolutely contrary to the entire ideology of the Olympic movement, and this does not paint the IOC in a good light.”

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The IOC announced its ruling on Tuesday, citing it as a natural consequence of Russia’s athletes competing as neutral individuals rather than as a national team—a consequence of sanctions imposed in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

The same restrictions apply to Belarus, which permitted Russia to use its territory to initiate what Moscow terms its “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022.