Published On 4/23/2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday criticized the previous leadership of the International Olympic Committee, describing it as “shameful and cowardly,” expressing his hope that the current officials in charge of the Olympic movement would adopt a new approach.
Putin’s statements came during a ceremony held in the Kremlin to honor Russian boxers, according to what Russian news agencies reported. Putin did not mention specific names, but his speech seemed directed at the policies followed during the era of former International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who left his position in 2025, and was succeeded by former Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe, Kirsty Coventry.
During Bach’s presidency, the International Olympic Committee imposed a ban on the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus under their national flags, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which was partly launched from the territory of Belarus.
His tenure also witnessed the repercussions of the Russian state-backed doping scandal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, which led to Russian athletes participating as “independents” in several subsequent Olympics.
‘Shameful and cowardly’
Media quoted Putin as saying during the ceremony, “The shameful, even cowardly, behavior resulting from political motives of the previous leadership of the International Olympic Committee caused serious damage to the Olympic Movement and the Olympic principles themselves.”
He added, “I hope that the new leadership of the International Olympic Committee and the international sports federations will be able to overcome this difficult and, as I said, shameful legacy of their predecessors as soon as possible.”
While a limited number of athletes from Russia and Belarus were allowed to participate in the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics as neutrals, without flags or national anthems, delegations from both countries were allowed to use flags and anthems at the Paralympics that followed.
Putin praised the achievement of the Russian Paralympic team in Italy, noting that it ranked third in the medal table, even though the size of the team was smaller in number than its competitors.
He was quoted as saying, “These victories were achieved, so to speak, not by numbers, but by skill, talent, and the will to win.”
