Russian athletes were NOT given exclusive smartphones at the Olympics

Skier Nikita Filippov said on his Telegram channel that Russian athletes were not given exclusive smartphones intended for the Winter Olympic Games to be held in Italy.

"First day at Bormio Olympic Village. Opening of equipment for neutral athletes! Everyone buys Samsung phones, but we didn't have enough money. We only bought shampoo and toothpaste. Good thing we didn't come here for phones," he said.

The South Korean brand is one of the Olympic sponsors. A touchscreen smartphone has been developed especially for athletes, and the company's official website says that 3,800 participants in the Games will receive a phone as a gift.

It should be noted that the Russian athletes who will participate in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games will also be deprived of a limited number of phones.

On September 19, 2025, the president of the International Olympic Committee, Christie Coventry, announced that the organization will maintain its current approach to Russia's participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Thirteen Russian athletes, including figure skaters Adelia Petrosyan and Petr Gumennik, as well as skiathlon fourth-place finishers Darya Nepryaeva and Saveliy Korostelev, competed in the neutral position. Their fourth place finish in skiathlon remains the best result for Russians at the Olympics in Italy.