[2026 Milan-Cortina] Russia and the Deception of “Neutrality”──Where Prayers from Sarajevo Cannot Reach

1984 Yugoslavia, the Sarajevo Olympics.

At the closing ceremony, then-IOC President Samaranch called out, “Thank you, beloved Sarajevo,” believing this place would become a “symbol of peace” in Olympic history.

Yet just eight years later, that stadium was filled with countless tombstones, and the skating rink became a mountain of rubble. History proved the ideal of the “Festival of Peace” powerless in the face of real violence.

And now, the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games.

While Ukrainian cities continue to be destroyed by missiles, the IOC once again invokes “peace,” seeking to invite athletes from Russia and Belarus to the Olympics as “Athletes Without Nationality (AIN).”

But peel back the veneer, and you see “athletes” in military uniforms.

The fiction of “neutrality.”

The conditions the IOC presented for AIN participation appear strict at first glance.

• Prohibition of national flags and anthems
• No active support for war
• No contracts with the military or security agencies

However, in Russian winter sports, the rule prohibiting contracts with the military has been fundamentally flawed from the start. This is because Russia’s elite athlete development system itself is inextricably intertwined with the military.

The latest survey data starkly reveals this reality.

88% were “military personnel” at the 2022 Beijing Games

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Just before the Games began, Russia invaded Ukraine.

An analysis of the medals won by athletes competing under the name “Russian Olympic Committee” reveals a startling fact.

Of the 32 medals won, a staggering 88%—28 medals—were won by athletes belonging to

• CSKA (Central Army Sports Club)
• Dynamo (Sports Club of Law Enforcement Agencies)

These organizations are not mere “clubs.”

CSKA is a direct agency of the Russian Ministry of Defense, while Dynamo is a bastion of security organizations like the National Guard and the Federal Security Service (FSB). They are “active-duty military personnel” who receive salaries from the state and are subject to court-martial.

Promotions During Wartime

Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this structure became clearly visible.

While the IOC sought neutrality for “athletes,” the Russian government explicitly treated its athletes as “warriors.”

Two months after the invasion, in April 2022, Defense Minister Shoigu summoned biathlete Eduard Latypov and others to inform them of their promotion to lieutenant. Additionally, Major General Zolotov, commander of the National Guard—often described as President Putin’s personal army—awarded the rank of captain to skiing hero Alexander Boryshnov.

The IOC surely understands the significance of promoting soldiers in the midst of combat. They wear sports uniforms over their military uniforms.

The “Z” Marking and Substitution for the Next Generation

What further shocked the world was the war-support rally held at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.

Here, numerous medalists enthusiastically cheered President Putin’s speech while displaying the “Z” symbol—a symbol of aggression—on their chests.

The IOC surely cannot invite athletes like Borshchunov, who wore the “Z,” to the 2026 Games. Therefore, what is now being pursued is the “replacement of athletes.”

For the 2026 Games, the IOC has already granted AIN (neutral) status to some young athletes. Among them is Savely Kolostelev, a young cross-country skiing talent. However, he too was trained at CSKA and has been reported by some media as a “private.”

Simply swapping out famous athletes changes nothing about the underlying reality: the military’s athlete development system remains entirely intact.

The contradictions facing the IOC

The IOC’s Contradiction

IOC President Bach has repeatedly stated, “Athletes must not be discriminated against based on nationality.” That is crucial.

Yet, at the very moment Ukrainian athletes see their training grounds bombed and lose their lives on the front lines, is there no contradiction in athletes employed by the invading nation’s military, receiving salaries, gliding down the slopes at the “Festival of Peace”?

On the ice and snow of Milan-Cortina, even if athletes from the AIN stand on the podium, the world will see the flags hidden behind the podium and the military uniforms concealed beneath their uniforms.