Russian media throw shade at Paris Olympics, which TV won’t show

Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Watching the Paris Olympics will be difficult for most people in Russia, and in the view of local media it’s not really worth the effort. Only 15 Russian citizens will be competing in the Games and in principle they won’t be representing Russia. Because Russia and neighboring Belarus were banned from fielding national teams due to the war in Ukraine, the Russians are designated neutrals. Russia’s state TV channels won’t be broadcasting any of the events. Newspapers aren’t ignoring the Olympics entirely, but their main approach has been to accentuate the negative, writing at length about Paris crime, the inconvenience of barricades placed throughout the city and reported food shortages for athletes.