Russian Athletes Competing as Neutrals and in Secrecy at Paris Olympics 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to significant political and economic consequences. One major outcome was Russia's exclusion from the Paris Olympics 2024. However, the International Olympic Committee extended invitations to 36 Russian athletes to compete in the 2024 global games.

Out of these, 15 accepted and will participate as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs). This means they will compete without displaying their national flag or hearing their anthem if they win gold.

In addition to these 15 athletes, another group of Russian sportspersons is also participating in the Paris Games. These athletes have chosen to represent other countries, despite facing criticism at home, especially from those in power.

According to Russia's sports ministry, 67 athletes have changed nationality since early 2022. Independent observers suggest this number could be as high as 200, including some in non-Olympic sports like chess.

Russian Athletes Competing for Other Nations in Paris 2024

Sardana Trofimova, a marathoner now representing Kyrgyzstan, was born in Yakutz, a rapidly growing city in eastern Russia. She won the Moscow Marathon in both 2017 and 2018. In 2023, she became a citizen of Kyrgyzstan and secured an Asian Games bronze medal the same year.

"Thank you, Kyrgyzstan, for the second life of my sports career," she posted on social media. Trofimova has been training in Bosteri, a scenic village in north-east Kyrgyzstan.

Georgii Okorokov is a freestyle wrestler competing for Australia in the 65kg class. Originally from Yakutia in eastern Russia, he moved to Australia in 2017 after his potential was recognised there.

"There is nothing in my mind except an Olympic medal," he told Australian news agency AAP. He joined Australia's high-performance squad and has been competing for them since 2022. Okorokov is currently ranked 27th globally.

Igor Myalin is a diver who now represents Uzbekistan with notable success. The 28-year-old Russian has expressed his feelings about missing his homeland but prioritises his sporting goals. "I miss my homeland, but I subordinate it to my sporting goal," he once said during an interview.

Anastasiia Kirpichnikova will be swimming for France at the Paris Olympics. The triple European champion has lived and trained in Martigues, near Marseille, for five years.

At age 24, she previously competed for Russia at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games without displaying her national flag and finished seventh and eighth in her events. Kirpichnikova holds Russian records in the 800m and 1,500m freestyle events.

Some of these athletes are referred to as "the secret Russians" by Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and are expected to be strong contenders for medals at the Paris Games.