Russian President Vladimir Putin criticises previous IOC leadership as ‘shameful, cowardly’

MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 22 criticised the former leadership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as “shameful” and “cowardly” and said that he hoped for a new approach from those now in charge of the Olympic movement.

Mr Putin made the remarks during a Kremlin ceremony honouring Russian boxers, according to Russian news agencies.

He did not name individuals but appeared to be referring to policies adopted under former IOC president Thomas Bach, who stepped down in 2025 and was succeeded by Zimbabwean former Olympic champion swimmer Kirsty Coventry.

Under Bach’s leadership, the IOC banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing at the Olympics under their national flags following Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, part of which was launched from Belarus.

Bach’s tenure as president also included the 2014 Sochi Winter Games’ Russian state-backed doping scandal, which led to Russian athletes participating as neutrals in several editions of the Olympics.

“The shameful, I would say cowardly, politically motivated behaviour of the previous leadership of the International Olympic Committee has caused enormous damage to the Olympic movement and to the very principles of Olympism,” Mr Putin was quoted as saying at the Kremlin ceremony.

“I hope that the new leadership of the International Olympic Committee and the international sports federations will overcome this difficult and, as I said, shameful legacy of their predecessors, as soon as possible.”

The IOC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

While a small number of Russian and Belarusian athletes were permitted to take part in the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games as neutral participants, with no national flags or anthems, a contingent of athletes from the two countries was allowed to use both flags and anthems at the subsequent Paralympic Games.

Mr Putin also praised the Russian Paralympic team’s “triumph” in Italy, saying it finished third in the medal table despite having a smaller team than many competitors.

“These victories were achieved, so to speak, not by numbers, but by skill, talent and the will to win,” he was quoted as saying.

Russian and Belarusian athletes, meanwhile, were last week permitted to compete in World Aquatics events with their respective uniforms, flags and anthems, the global governing body said.

The next World Aquatics championships, which comprise swimming, artistic swimming, diving, high diving, open water swimming and water polo events, will be held in Budapest in 2027.

World Aquatics said Russian and Belarusian athletes would be cleared to compete after passing at least four successive anti-doping controls and completing background checks. REUTERS