– That is an enormous number. I think it should be checked more carefully. They may be involved in supporting the war, so it is a high number and it should not be like this, says Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan when she hears the number presented by news. SHOCKED: Fencer Olha Kharlan thinks that the number of Russian-born Olympic participants was enormous. Photo: AP When the IOC made it clear that Russian athletes would be allowed to participate in the Olympics, they estimated that around 36 athletes with Russian passports would be allowed to participate as so-called neutral athletes. 36 athletes were eventually invited to the Olympics. According to the IOC, there are now only 15 Russians and 17 Belarusians who have accepted an Olympic place as neutrals. But the IOC figures do not show the whole truth. Changed nation when the war started news has reviewed the entire first start list for the Olympics. It featured 11,157 athletes who will participate in Paris. In the overview, we found at least 82 athletes who were born in Russia. 15 of them therefore participate as neutral athletes. The rest compete in the Olympics for other countries. At least 16 of the 82 athletes have changed their nationality after the war in Ukraine started. The last athlete was approved to move to another country as recently as last week. They will now fight for Olympic gold for other nations. Here are some of them: Varvara Gracheva, tennis Now representing France. Changed nationality in 2023.Participates in both the singles and doubles tournaments.Anastasija Kirpichnikova, swimmingNow represents France. Changed nation in 2023.Participates in 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle.Dauren Kurugliev, wrestlingNow represents Greece. Changed nation in 2023. Participates in freestyle wrestling in the 86 kg class. Sardana Trofimova, athletics Now represents Kyrgyzstan. Changed nationality in 2022.Participates in marathons.Alexander Shevchenko, tennis Now represents Kazakhstan. Changed nationality in 2024. Participates in the singles tournament. Akhmed Magomed O Tazhudinov Now represents Bahrain. Changed nationality in 2022.Participates in freestyle wrestling, 97 kg class.Misha Yakovlev, track cyclingNow represents Israel. Changed nationality in 2022.Participates in sprints and keirin.Anna Prakaten, rowingBorn in Belarus, but has competed for Russia until last week. Then she changed her nationality to Uzbekistan. Participates in single sculls. – I think it is a large number. Generally, you cannot change your citizenship so quickly. I think it’s unfair. I think we have to change the rules, says Ukrainian swimmer Mykhajlo Romanchuk about news’s figures. The changes of nation have various reasons. Some athletes have switched nations because they have taken a stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Others have switched because they would not have been allowed to compete in this year’s Olympics if they were still Russian. – We have, for every Olympics, several nationality changes. I don’t know the exact figure for that now, says IOC President Thomas Bach to news. How we found the Russian athletes The official start list, which was published on 15 July, was checked against Wikipedia using an automated search. All athletes who had Russia as their country of birth have been double-checked manually. 4,799 athletes did not have a Wikipedia page with the same name as the starting list for the Olympics. These 4,799 were run through a database of Russian/Slavic-sounding names. Then we were left with 623 athletes who did not have a Wikipedia page, but who had Russian-like names. These 623 were checked manually against previous results lists and various databases. In the end, we were left with 82 names who were born in Russia, plus one athlete who represented Russia until the week before the Olympics and who has now changed nations. At least 16 of these athletes have changed nations after the war started. We have not been able to find out whether seven athletes switched nations before or after the outbreak of the war. 22 of these athletes will take part in wrestling under the new flag. The president of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee says they have been informed only of the 15 Russians and 17 Belarusians who have agreed to participate as neutral athletes. In any case, he believes that not a single Russian should be allowed to participate. PRESIDENT: Vadym Guttsajt was formerly a professional fencer. Photo: Efrem Lukatsky / AP – As long as people are killed in Ukraine, as long as our buildings are bombed in Ukraine, as long as our borders are occupied by Russia – Russia has no chance or right to be in the Olympics, Guttsajt said at the press conference . – For us, the Russian and Belarusian athletes do not exist. We don’t greet them, we don’t say hello, we don’t even look at them, Guttsajt said. 22 out of 289 wrestlers were born in Russia “Some of our sports leaders made “difficult moral choices” for the athletes”. The Russian newspaper Sport-Express wrote that earlier in July, after more and more Russian athletes have declined the invitation to participate in the Olympics, as neutral athletes. At first several of them accepted the invitation. Now all ten switches have turned. The fact that no Russian wrestlers participate as neutrals does not tell the whole truth. 22 of the total of 289 wrestlers in the Olympics were born in Russia and now represent other countries, news’s overview shows. DENIED: Abdulrashid Sadulajev is one of the great Russian wrestling stars who was denied Olympic participation by the IOC. Photo: Maxim Shemetov / Reuters As recently as 19 June, the Russian Wrestling Federation recommended that its athletes accept places as individual athletes in the Paris Olympics. Two and a half weeks later they turned around. In a statement, they wrote that they did not accept the “unsportsmanlike selection” of Olympic athletes and that it undermines the principle of unity for their team. According to the Russian Wrestling Federation, it was a unanimous decision not to compete in the Olympics, after a meeting between the board, coaches and the athletes invited to the Olympics. – When it is presented as a unanimous decision not to participate, I think it probably appears as a politically chosen position. Not just wrestling politics, but sports politics in Russia, says president Anette Kure, of the Norwegian Wrestling Federation. President Mikhail Mamiashvili of the Russian Wrestling Federation is a prominent figure in international wrestling. Photo: Maxim Shemetov / Reuters news has sent several questions to the Russian Wrestling Federation and the Russian Olympic Committee, including about how the selection was made and whether the athletes were actually involved. news has not received a reply. Kure believes the Russian decision only emphasizes that sport is politics. – Therefore, I think, the wrestling association and Norwegian sports, it is right that they do not participate. But when it turned out as it did, it is good to see that the IOC’s criteria and screening process are working, she says. Like wrestling, judo, among other things, President Vladimir Putin’s former sport, has turned around. Putin has practiced judo since he was a youth. Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev / AP – Too bad for the athletes All 15 neutral Russian athletes actually participating in the Olympics have been through background checks by the IOC. If an athlete has supported the war, that person will not be allowed to participate in the Olympics. Neutral Olympic athletes from Russia According to the IOC’s updated list of neutral athletes with Russian passports, these are now relevant Russian athletes in the Paris Olympics. Tennis: Daniil Medvedev, Roman Safiullin, Pavel Kotov, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Mirra Andreeva, Diana Schneider, Elena Vesnina. Cycling: Tamara Dronova, Alena Ivanchenko, Gleb Syritsa. Trampoline jumping: Angela Bladtseva. Canoeing: Alexey Korovashkov, Zakhar Petrov, Olesya Romasenko. Swimming: Evgeny Somov. Neutral athletes are essentially free to participate as neutral athletes at the invitation of the IOC. But Sport-ekspress points out that it is obvious that no Russians go against the association’s decision. – As a performer, I am very concerned that one should be given the opportunity to perform on the largest scale possible, given the conditions of neutrality that have been set. It is a great pity for the athletes concerned, if someone makes decisions for them, says the leader of the Norwegian athletes’ committee, Magnus Nedregotten. In addition to the neutral athletes, there will therefore be those athletes who have switched nations. If you are going to change nations, the regulations state that you must wait three years from when you last competed for your previous country before you can represent a new one. This rule can be exempted if permission is obtained from both the new and the old country. IOC President Thomas Bach together with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, during the Olympics in Sochi in 2014. Photo: Charlie Riedel / AP When asked by news whether the 16 Russians who have changed their nationality after the start of the war have undergone a background check, the IOC President speaks away and refers to the regulations for nationality changes. – When it comes to athletes who have participated for Russia before, and where the three-year period for changing nations must normally be respected, you can only change with the approval of the two nations’ Olympic committees. The Russian Olympic Committee has now been suspended. Therefore, the IOC board has replaced the lack of approval from the Russian Olympic Committee with an approval from the IOC board, says Bach. – I didn’t want this to happen In 2016, Margarita Mamun won gold in rhythmic gymnastics at the Olympics in Rio. The Russian has since given up. She emphasizes that an Olympics is the most important driving force in everyday training. – So my answer is yes, I would probably participate if I had the opportunity. But I know many athletes who would like to participate, but they don’t have this opportunity because the decision has already been made for them, Mamun tells news. She also believes that it will affect young athletes if the older and more experienced members of the team turn down an Olympic place. MEDAL: Vladimir Putin presents Margarita Mamun with a medal after winning Olympic gold in 2016. Photo: Ap – For some reason, it is difficult for the more experienced athletes to understand young athletes who want to participate, but it is difficult for young people to say something at odds with the oldest athletes and leaders. This is how it works for me. – What do you think of the head of the association deciding this for the whole team? – I didn’t want this to happen. Every athlete is an independent adult. And if someone has some opportunity offered, and this is not prohibited at the state level, then everyone should speak for themselves. To avoid this pressure and decisions made on behalf of everyone, says Mamun. The Olympics begin on Friday 26 July. You can see the entire program here. Published 26/07/2024, at 18.36
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Claims 15 Russians are participating in the Olympics – news found over 80 who were born in Russia – Olympics Paris 2024
