Controversies in the Winter Olympics and NGU students’ thoughts
Ava Henderson, Staff Writer
Photo by Ava Henderson
As the 2026 Winter Olympics carried on, so did controversies amongst the athletes. One of them led to a disqualification over political speech and another involved athletes competing under a neutral title or being banned from competition entirely. Fans of these Olympics have their differing opinions on these situations. Some are in agreement with the decisions and others are opposed.
The first controversy has to do with a Ukrainian sled racer being disqualified. Vladyslav Heraskevych competes in the skeleton discipline race of sled racing and was poised to win a medal.
During the race, he was planning on wearing a helmet displaying the faces of 20 coaches and athletes who were killed when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said the helmet violates the ban on political speech during the Olympics and didn’t allow him to wear it.
Heraskevych wouldn’t back down. The IOC said he could wear a black armband in replacement of the helmet, but he refused. This led to a disqualification from the race and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Heraskevych said on a social media post that he feels the ruling was unfair, and that the victims deserved to be honored on the Olympic stage. The IOC responded saying the athletes are allowed to speak freely about political issues, just not on the competition floor.
Fans of all countries are upset at this ruling. Some feel that the IOC is heartless for not allowing him to honor victims of the invasion. Others feel that they are hypocrites because they banned Russian officials from competing, and penalized Heraskevych for honoring lives from the same conflict. Some fans agree with the IOC that the Olympics should focus on athletics and steer clear from political speech.
Lillian Stone, a freshman biology major, is a big fan of the Olympics. She feels that politics have no place in the games.
“The Olympics is a place for athletes to show off their talents,” Stone said. “Not a place to preach a political opinion.”
She thinks that Olympians should support their country in a respectful way that doesn’t bash other countries or other political views.
Overall, the IOC’s goal is to keep the Olympics free from any political controversies. Ironically, this led to many people questioning their decision in how to go about this.
The next controversy is one that has been around for many stints of the Olympics. Russian athletes are competing as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN’s) due to ongoing sanctions. 20 AIN’s are competing, 13 Russians and seven Bulgarians. These athletes were not allowed to participate in the opening or closing ceremonies and were stripped of their flags and national anthems.
The main issue has been an ongoing problem since the 2014 Olympic games and again during the 2022 Olympics. The Russian Olympic team was caught in doping scandals both years and since has been listed as “non-compliant” by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Due to this, they have not been able to compete as a national team.
Fans want this issue taken care of and think it has gone on for too long. Russia has been punished for this in previous games. Now, people want Russian athletes and the IOC to come to an agreement and move on.
There is another controversy related to Russia; however, it’s separate from the doping scandals. As mentioned previously, any athlete with ties to the war in Ukraine (Russian military or security agencies) or those that supported the war, were not allowed to qualify for the 2026 Olympics. This is again to stay away from political controversies and to keep all other athletes safe.
While fans agree that Russians should be punished for their political actions, some feel that the Olympics are about athletics and not politics. Keeping the athletes out of competition is a political move, not an athletic one. Other fans agree with the IOC that due to Russia’s political violence, they should be withheld from Olympic participation.
Freshman music education major Sarah Fincannon isn’t on board with the ban. She thinks that the IOC should focus on sports and let the governments of the countries decide political punishments.
“The IOC needs to stick to sports. The governments of any country involved in political violence should be the ones to decide what the athletes can and can’t do,” Fincannon said. “I think if they stick to their roles everyone would be happier.”
Sophomore health science major Clara Terry thinks the IOC made the right decision in both cases. She trusts that the IOC knows what they’re doing and that they have a purpose behind every decision.
“The IOC is the head of the Olympics and if they want politics out then politics should be out,” Terry said. “I think the IOC wants all the competitors to focus on their sport and not get caught up in outside drama.”
These controversies and many more have led to fans arguing over whether politics belongs in sports. Some feel that athletes need to represent their country full force. Others feel that they should only focus on athletics and keep political views away.
