Silver Medalists but Called "Traitors to Their Homeland": Russian Athletes at the Paris Olympics[Paris Olympics]

No TV Broadcast for Nearly 40 Years in Russia
Russian Politician Criticizes as "Traitor to the Motherland"
Ukraine Says "Russian Athletes Are Nonexistent"

On the 4th (local time), Mira Andreyeva (left) and Diana Schneider, Russian-born players who won the silver medal in the women's doubles tennis event at the Paris Olympics, are seen. Both players participated in this Olympics under the Athlete Individual Neutral (AIN) status.
[Image source=TASS·Yonhap News]

Russian tennis players participating under the Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status at the 2024 Paris Olympics have won silver medals but are not being welcomed within Russia. Although these are the first medals won by Russian-born athletes during the Olympic period, Russia, which holds a negative stance toward the Paris Olympics, did not broadcast the Olympic events. Some Russian politicians have criticized the AIN athletes competing in the Olympics, calling them "traitors."

Russia’s First Silver Medal...Excluded from Rankings and Ignored by the Nation

On the 4th (local time), Diana Schneider competing in the women's doubles tennis match at the Paris Olympics. [Image source=TASS·Yonhap News]

On the 4th (local time), Russian-born Mira Andreeva and Diana Schneider won silver medals in the women's doubles tennis event at the Paris Olympics but could not smile. Although this medal is the first won by Russian-born athletes at the Paris Olympics, Russia’s official participation was restricted due to its invasion of Ukraine, so the medal was not registered in the rankings.

At the post-match press conference, the two athletes refrained from commenting on political matters. Schneider stated, "I will not answer anything related to politics here." Andreeva also emphasized, "It does not matter that we are participating as AIN athletes, not as Russian athletes; what matters to us is the competition."

The reason the two athletes refused to comment on political issues is due to ongoing tensions between the Russian government and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding participation in the Paris Olympics. Before the Olympics, the IOC invited 36 Russian athletes eligible to participate as AIN, and although the Russian government declared it would not officially boycott, various sports federations such as gymnastics and weightlifting expressed dissatisfaction with the IOC and declared non-participation. The IOC’s final count of Russian-born AIN participants was 17.

Russia Does Not Broadcast...Political Circles Criticize as "Traitors"

[Image source=TASS Yonhap News]

Within Russia, there is a strong boycott movement, claiming discrimination by the Paris Olympics. According to CNN, Russia did not broadcast the Olympics on TV at all, marking the first time in 40 years since the 1984 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics boycott during the Cold War. Some Russians are watching the Olympic events via live broadcasts on the official Paris Olympics website or through satellites from neighboring countries such as Kazakhstan.

Voices criticizing the Paris Olympics are loud in Russian political circles. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, told TASS news agency, "I do not want to say anything about the terrible show that was the Paris Olympics," and criticized by saying, "Think about the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and the 2018 Russia World Cup, which were excellently held in our country."

Some political figures are even criticizing Russian-born athletes participating as AIN. Alexey Zhuravlyov, First Deputy Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Russian Parliament, recently said in a parliamentary speech, "The athletes who participated in the Olympics are traitors to their homeland," and argued, "An investigation is needed to clarify whether they support Russian national policies."

Ukraine: "Russian Athletes Do Not Exist for Us"

On the 4th (local time), Yaroslavа Mahuchyk of Ukraine, who won the gold medal in the women's high jump at the Paris Olympics, is cheering while draped in the national flag.
[Image source= Xinhua·Yonhap News]

Controversies surrounding Russian-born athletes are expected to continue even after the Olympics conclude.

Ukraine, which opposed the participation of Russian athletes until just before the Paris Olympics, is not only avoiding interaction with Russian athletes but treating them as if they do not exist. According to The New York Times (NYT), Vadym Gutzeit, Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, said at a press conference on the 27th of last month, "Russian athletes simply do not exist for us," adding, "We neither greet nor look at them."

Ukrainian anti-war activists have demanded that the IOC identify those among the Russian AIN athletes who may support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian anti-war groups conducted a comprehensive investigation of Russian athletes’ social media accounts over several months and submitted to the IOC posts and individuals who expressed support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As concerns arise that the meaning of the Olympics as a festival of peace could be greatly diminished, the IOC, which established the principle of strictly separating sports and politics and decided on the AIN status participation for Russian and Belarusian athletes, is expressing difficulty with the situation.