According to research by the Norwegian public broadcasting company, 82 athletes born in Russia will compete in Paris.
from Russia 15 athletes will participate as neutral athletes in the Olympic Games currently taking place in Paris. Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation NRK ended up to a different number: 82 competitions born in Russia in Paris. They represent several different countries in the games.
According to NRK, at least 16 of these 82 have changed their citizenship since Russia started the war of aggression against Ukraine, i.e. after February 2022.
These include tennis players, for example Varvara Gracheva (represents France, changed citizenship 2023) and Aleksandr Shevtšenko (represents Kazakhstan, changed citizenship in 2024).
Some of the citizenship changes were made just before the Olympics. For example, a rower Anna Prakaten was born in Belarus but has previously represented Russia: last week he became Uzbek.
“It should not be possible to change citizenship so quickly. The rules need to be changed”, says the Ukrainian swimmer Myhailo Romantšuk NRK:lle.
According to NRK, citizenship has been changed for several reasons. Some have switched because they oppose the Russian war of aggression and some because otherwise they would not have been able to compete in the Olympics.
There are especially many people who change citizenship in wrestling: 22 athletes. A total of 289 wrestlers will participate in the Olympics. The Russian Wrestling Federation did not send any wrestlers to the Games in protest.
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“It shouldn’t be possible to change citizenship so quickly.”
International President of the Olympic Committee (IOC). Thomas Bach says that there are always changes of citizenship during the Olympics. This time, the IOC has played a strong role in the nationalities’ game of chairs.
According to IOC rules, you can only represent your new country after three years from changing nationality. There is an exception to this if the Olympic Committees of the former and new countries approve the change of nationality.
Since the IOC has shelved the Russian Olympic Committee, the IOC has assumed that role.
“That’s why the IOC board has replaced the lack of approval from the Russian Olympic Committee with the approval of the IOC board,” says Bach.