Russia accused International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach of conspiring with Ukraine to exclude its top athletes from the Paris Games. The accusation stemmed from a prank call where Bach discussed monitoring Russian athletes who made political statements in support of their government. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed Bach entered into a conspiracy with Ukraine, calling for an investigation into his relationship with Ukrainian officials. Tensions between Russia and the IOC escalated as Russian and Belarusian athletes are set to compete as neutrals due to the war in Ukraine. The IOC announced the establishment of a review panel to assess the eligibility of Russian and Belarusian athletes for the Olympics.
