Tensions continue to run high between Russia and everything to do with the Olympics. Now, it is the presence of journalists that is giving rise to a new controversy. Before the Games, there were already complaints from the Russian Foreign Ministry that journalists who had applied for accreditation did not get it.

Now, with the Games underway, the Russian state news agency TASS claims that four journalists who were covering the Olympics have had their accreditation revoked. It refers to them as experienced professionals, citing Artyom Kuznetsov, who has experience of seven Olympic Games and has never had any complaints about his work.

TASS claims there is no explanation for this decision. In previous cases, there have been allegations of possible espionage activities, but this would be a case of journalists who were already covering sporting activities in addition to the Opening Ceremony.

In the absence of explanations for the decision, Russia's relations with the International Olympic Committee and the Organising Committee of the Games remain difficult. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zhakarova took advantage of the problems during the Opening Ceremony to comment on what she saw as a major failure.

Only 15 Russian athletes have come to Paris. They are participating as neutral athletes because the others have been banned from participating because of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. And the same goes for the Belarusian athletes.