During the upcoming Winter Olympics, Latvian public media (LSM) will not cover the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus, said LETA agency by the head of corporate communications at LSM, Raina Anna Lochmele.
She explained that this is provided for by internal editorial guidelines developed by LSM. The content of LSM will not include information about the achievements and results of athletes from aggressor countries, nor will their individual performances be broadcast. During live broadcasts when such performances take place, alternative content will be shown instead, such as self-promotion or interviews with Latvian athletes.
In exceptional cases, when the format of the competition or the course of events does not allow for the complete avoidance of mentioning these athletes, or if there is another editorially justified reason, athletes from Russia and Belarus will be clearly identified as representatives of aggressor countries, noted Lochmele.
She also emphasized that the guidelines have been developed considering various possible competition scenarios and may be refined if necessary.
"The main task of LSM is to comprehensively cover the Winter Olympics for the Latvian audience: with live broadcasts, timely news, studio programs, analytical reviews, as well as diverse original content on television, radio, and digital platforms," Lochmele noted.
It was previously reported that the TV3 Group channels will also not inform their viewers about the participation of athletes from aggressor countries competing under a neutral flag at the upcoming Winter Olympics. This was stated to the LETA agency by the director of sports programs at Go3, Tom Circenis.
As is known, in September of last year, the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo under a neutral flag.
The Latvian Olympic Committee (LOC) disagrees with this IOC decision, considering any participation of athletes associated with aggressor countries in international competitions premature and inconsistent with the spirit and format of the Olympic Games.
At the same time, to ensure the participation of Latvian athletes in qualifying competitions for the Olympics, as well as other international competitions, the LOC has developed special guidelines for athletes and members of the Latvian delegation on how to interact with such participants.
The Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo will take place from February 6 to 22.
