ROC General Director Vladimir Sengeleev confirmed this information to RIA Novosti, stating, "We have paid more than 200 million roubles (over $2 million) to 245 athletes who were not allowed to take part in the Olympic Games."

These payments were made to athletes who were either barred from international competitions or were unable to obtain neutral status to compete in Paris. Athletes from Russia and Belarus are banned from the Games unless they compete as neutrals, without flags, anthems, or emblems. Additionally, Russian and Belarusian athletes must undergo extra vetting to ensure they do not support Russia's war and have no ties to its military.

Sengleyev said the last payments had been sent to athletes on June 23. RIA did not specify how much the sportspeople were compensated nor which ones received money. The list of Russian athletes who will head to Paris has thinned to just over a dozen, as several sports federation heads have said their squads will not take part under what they see as humiliating restrictions.

So far, only 16 Russian athletes have confirmed their participation in the Paris Olympics, scheduled from 26 July to 11 August, a significant decrease from the 335 athletes who competed in the Tokyo Games in 2020.

Recently, both Russian wrestlers and judoists eligible to compete in Paris 2024 have announced they will not participate in the Games due to the "unsporting criteria" imposed by the International Olympic Committee for selecting Russian athletes.