The 15 Russian ‘neutrals’ at the Paris Olympics are politically isolated and rarely in the spotlight

AP Sports Writer

PARIS (AP) — The 15 Russians competing at the Paris Olympics have an uneasy status as “Individual Neutral Athletes” following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Some in the Olympic Village opposed them taking part in the Summer Games, and Russian opinion is divided. In Russia, the Olympics aren’t being shown on TV and some politicians and media figures have even described those willing to compete in Paris as traitors. It’s a complex environment for the athletes, some of them teenagers, to navigate and they’re wary of talking about politics or the war.