Belarus Olympic Team
Athletes check the venue prior to the women's and men's lead semi-final of the IFSC Climbing World Cup Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. After Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi joined a growing list of female athletes who have been targeted by their governments for defying authoritarian policies or acting out against bullying, a number of others have spoken out on their concerns of politics crossing into their sporting world. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Iran's Rekabi latest female athlete at risk in home country

By Stephen Wade Oct. 21, 2022 11:59 AM EDT

Russia eyes 2024 Paris Olympics despite sports bans

Jul. 26, 2022 07:18 AM EDT
PARIS (AP) — With two years to go until the Paris Olympics open, Russia is making plans for its athletes to live and compete in the French capital even though many...

Yaroslava Mahuchikh, of Ukraine, competes during qualifying for the women's high jump at the World Athletics Championships on Saturday, July 16, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Ukraine on her mind as high jumper goes for gold at worlds

By Eddie Pells Jul. 16, 2022 01:32 PM EDT

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaks during a press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, July 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
Zelenskyy praises IOC for supporting bans on Russian sport

Jul. 04, 2022 08:49 AM EDT

Ukraine boycotts judo Olympic qualifier as Russians compete

Jun. 24, 2022 12:16 PM EDT
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — Ukraine has begun a boycott of international judo events because the Russian team was allowed to compete as Olympic qualification began...

FILE- In this Aug. 12, 2017 file photo, Russia's Maria Lasitskene celebrates without a flag after winning the gold medal in the women's high jump final during the World Athletics Championships in London. Lasitskene, likely to be banned from defending her three straight world titles next month, lashed out at the leaders of the IOC and World Athletics, and expressed sympathy for her Ukrainian competitors in a heartfelt open letter distributed Thursday, June 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
Russian champion bashes Bach, shows sympathy for Ukrainians

By Eddie Pells Jun. 09, 2022 04:19 PM EDT

FILE - Flags are shown on the south side of Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., Thursday, June 18, 2020. Barring a sudden, unexpected end to the war in Ukraine, athletes from Russia and Belarus will be banned from next month's track and field world championships, which marks the largest international sports event since the end of the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. (Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard via AP, File)
Russians out of track worlds barring unexpected end to war

By Eddie Pells Jun. 02, 2022 09:55 AM EDT

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) sprays water on his face during a timeout against the Florida Panthers during the third period in Game 4 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series Monday, May 23, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Russians star in NHL playoffs as nation wages war in Ukraine

By Stephen Whyno May. 30, 2022 02:23 AM EDT

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, center, speaks with young athletes at the Olympics Unleashed session at the Yeronga Park Sports Centre in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday, May 7, 2022. Bach was in Brisbane on Saturday for the first time since the Queensland state capital was awarded the 2032 Olympics. (Jason O'Brien/AAP Image via AP)
Bach says Russia ban is to protect athletes, not punish them

By Graham Dunbar May. 20, 2022 09:08 AM EDT

Russian seeks to keep senior role at skating federation

By Graham Dunbar Apr. 27, 2022 01:14 PM EDT
GENEVA (AP) — A Russian official was among the candidates announced Wednesday for the International Skating Union’s elections in June, if he is allowed to stand to...

Putin backs Russian skater Valieva as she faces doping case

Apr. 26, 2022 12:20 PM EDT
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support for figure skater Kamila Valieva on Tuesday, saying she did not compete “dishonestly” after her doping case...

FILE - Evgeny Rylov of the Russian Olympic Committee poses with his gold medal for the men's 100-meter backstroke final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. A statement from swimming's world governing body, FINA, on Thursday, April 21, 2022, announced that Rylov has been banned from the sport for nine months for appearing at a rally in support of President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
Russian swimmer Rylov banned for appearing at Putin rally

Apr. 22, 2022 03:39 PM EDT

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to deliver his speech at the concert marking the eighth anniversary of the referendum on the state status of Crimea and Sevastopol and its reunification with Russia, in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 18, 2022. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian Olympians face backlash after Vladimir Putin rally

Mar. 23, 2022 07:26 AM EDT

FILE - Nathan Chen competes in the men's free skate program during the figure skating event at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, in Beijing. Nathan Chen withdrew from the world championships on Wednesday, March 16, because of what he called a “nagging injury” that he’s been dealing with after winning at the Beijing Games. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)
After Russia's ban, world figure skating medals up for grabs

By Dave Skretta Mar. 22, 2022 11:48 AM EDT

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin speak to each other during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 11, 2022. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russia, Belarus banned from multi-sport Euro Championships

Mar. 16, 2022 05:42 PM EDT

FILE - IAAF President Sebastian Coe attends a press conference ahead of the Doha IAAF Diamond League in Doha, Qatar, May 2, 2019. Olympic great Sebastian Coe said Monday March 14, 2022, sports federations must remain firm to keep Russian and Belarusian athletes out of competitions following the invasion of Ukraine. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
Sebastian Coe says sports must fight to keep Russia banned

By Chris Lehourites Mar. 14, 2022 12:10 PM EDT

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in the launch of a new ferry via a conference call at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 4, 2022. (Andrei Gorshkov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Column: Russian sports ban unlikely to stop Putin's war

By Paul Newberry Mar. 04, 2022 05:03 PM EST

Writing reading "Glory to Ukraine" is seen on the side of the trailer of the Russian cross-country national team, in Holmenkollen. near Oslo, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. In Norway, Russian cross-country skiers, who won 11 medals at the Beijing Olympics, were heading home after being excluded from competition by the International Ski Federation, known as FIS. The decision came after a three-day standoff with Norwegian ski officials, who said they would refuse to let Russians and Belarusians race if FIS maintained its previous policy of allowing them to compete as neutral athletes. (Torstein Boee/NTB scanpix via AP)
Gymnastics, curling add Russian athletes to sports bans

By The Associated Press Mar. 04, 2022 11:03 AM EST

FILE - FIFA President Gianni Infantino, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for cameras at the FIFA congress on the eve of the opener of the 2018 soccer World Cup in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, June 13, 2018. In a sweeping move to isolate and condemn Russia after invading Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee urged sports bodies on Monday to exclude the country's athletes and officials from international events. The decision opened the way for FIFA, the governing body of soccer, to exclude Russia from a World Cup qualifying playoff match on March 24. Poland has refused to play the scheduled game against Russia. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
COLUMN: Will sports ever stop cozying up to strongmen?

By Jim Litke Mar. 03, 2022 07:05 PM EST

Members of the Russian cross-country ski national team stand outside the Radisson Blu Hotel at Fornebu, Oslo, Tuesday March 1, 2022. Norway challenged a decision by the International Ski Federation to allow Russians to keep competing, and said it would block them from upcoming rounds of the World Cup that Norway hosts this week. (Annika Byrde/NTB scanpix via AP)
Russia excluded from skating as sporting sanctions increase

Mar. 01, 2022 03:43 AM EST