Only 15 Russian National Athletes... "Excluded from Medal Ranking Tally" [Paris Olympics]

Smallest Scale Since 1984 LA Olympics
Russian Sports Federations Move to Boycott
Controversy Over Closing Ceremony Participation... Fears of a 'Half Olympics'

[Image source=UPI Yonhap News]

With the number of Russian athletes participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics shrinking to just 15, controversy over Russia's Olympic boycott is heating up. This is the smallest number of participants since the 1984 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics during the Cold War era.

Due to the war issue, Russian athletes are prohibited from displaying their national flag or wearing it on their uniforms at this Olympics. Even if an athlete wins a medal, they will be excluded from the official ranking. The possibility of Russian athletes attending the closing ceremony is also uncertain, raising concerns that Russia might boycott future Olympics. There are fears that this could lead to a 'half-Olympics' similar to those during the Cold War era.

IOC: "Only 15 Russian Athletes Participating"… Smallest Scale Since LA Olympics Boycott

[Image source=UPI Yonhap News]

According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), only 15 athletes of Russian nationality are participating in the Paris Olympics. After the outbreak of the Ukraine war, the IOC allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus, identified as aggressor and supporting countries, to compete only under the status of Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN). Of the 36 Russian athletes invited by the IOC, less than half?only 15?have confirmed participation. Among the 24 Belarusian invitees, 17 athletes will compete in the Olympics.

The number of Russian athletes participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics is less than one-twentieth of the delegation size at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At Tokyo, 335 Russian athletes and 101 Belarusian athletes took part. This is the smallest number of participants in 40 years since the 1984 LA Olympics, which Russia boycotted during the Cold War.

Even at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Russian athletes were not allowed to display their national flag due to doping issues. They competed under the name "Russian Olympic Committee (ROC)" and the ROC flag. In December 2020, Russia was banned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) from participating in major international sports events such as the Olympics and World Cup for two years due to doping allegations, prohibiting the use of their national flag. Nevertheless, Russia sent a large delegation and ranked fifth overall.

Russia Says No Official Boycott... But Sports Federations Refuse to Participate

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Since the end of the Cold War, Russia has never boycotted the Olympics, but sending the smallest delegation to the Paris Olympics has sparked controversy that a de facto boycott has begun. The Russian government firmly stated last month that there would be "no official boycott of the Paris Olympics," but its affiliated sports federations collectively refused to participate.

The Russian Weightlifting Federation, which received invitations for 10 athletes from the IOC, rejected the invitation in a statement, saying "the athlete selection process lacked sportsmanship." The Russian Judo Federation, invited to send 4 athletes, also boycotted, stating they "cannot accept the humiliating conditions imposed by the IOC." As a result, only 15 athletes?including 7 tennis players, 3 kayak and canoe athletes, 3 cyclists, 1 trampoline jumper, and 1 swimmer?will participate in the Paris Olympics under the AIN status.

Valentina Rodionenko, head coach of the Russian gymnastics team, strongly criticized the situation in an interview with RIA Novosti, calling the fact that only 15 Russian athletes are participating "a shameful administration by the IOC" and describing the Olympics as a "complete failure."

Excluded from Medal Rankings and Possible Absence from Closing Ceremony... Fears of 'Half-Olympics' Reemerging

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The 15 athletes participating under the AIN status will not only be excluded from the medal rankings but are also likely to be barred from attending the closing ceremony on July 11 due to opposition from Ukraine and the international community. According to CNN, the IOC announced on the 22nd that it would postpone the decision regarding Russian athletes' participation in the closing ceremony until the next meeting. Russian athletes have already been banned from participating in the Paris Olympics opening ceremony and parade.

However, if Russian athletes are banned from both the opening and closing ceremonies, there are concerns that Russia might boycott Olympics held in Western countries altogether, as it did during the Cold War. The U.S. National Public Radio (NPR) pointed out that "Russia criticizes the IOC for a double standard by not accepting the Palestinian side's demand to boycott Israel at the Paris Olympics," and suggested that "Russia might boycott the Olympics held in the U.S. after the Paris Games." The next Summer Olympics after Paris in 2024 will be held in Los Angeles, USA, in 2028.