What is the Russian governent saying about why Russia is not in the Olympics?

My understanding is that the government owned stations in Russia aren’t airing the Olympics, so the general population may not even know they are occurring. They do have 15 athletes competing & I’m guessing that they are being exploited as the Russian team for those who learned their version of the truth. The Russian people are so closed off from the outside world that they only know what is shown on the state owned TV stations.

Russian media focuses on Russian athletes competing under neutral flags. They still refer to them as Russians and stress the difficulties they face in competing without national symbols.

The exclusion of the country’s athletes is portrayed as politically motivated, suggesting Russia is targeted by international bodies for political reasons rather than purely sporting considerations.

Coverage may include broader commentary on how the Olympics are a reflection of international politics, often casting Russia in a positive light despite the challenges it faces. There can be discussions on the integrity of international sports organizations and criticisms of what is seen as the politicization of sports.

In short, coverage of the Olympics is state run and made to fit the Putin narrative that Russia is a victim of the West.

There’s a Russian woman swimmer who became a French citizen and swam under the French flag, 2024.