Zakharova stated that it is impossible to consider sports as world-class without the presence of the Russian Federation in it.

World sport must realize that it will never be global without the participation of athletes from Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on February 7.

She noted that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should decide on the full return of Russian athletes.

"The IOC must return world sport to world sport. Olympism should be distinguished by dignity and sporting achievements, not by gender perversion and political madness," the diplomat told Sport—Express.

The New York Times newspaper noted on the same day that the IOC delegates expressed their willingness to facilitate the return of Russian athletes to international competitions.

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Former Italian Senator Gianluca Ferrara said on the same day that the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy and their opening ceremony demonstrate the double standards of the West towards countries involved in conflicts. According to him, some states are excluded from competitions, while others, primarily Israel, are not subject to sports sanctions.

It also became known that Russian figure skater Pyotr Gumennik was banned from performing at the Olympics to the soundtrack from "Perfumer" due to copyright issues. In response to the injustice towards the athlete, social media users launched a hashtag, which translated into Russian sounds like "Let Peter Humennik ride under the "Perfumer".

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