Samsung Gift Phones Withheld from Russian Athletes at 2026 Olympics

Gift Controversy at the 2026 Olympic Games

According to Главком: Russian speed skater Ksenia Korzhova has revealed that at the 2026 Olympics, she was first given and then had a gift phone from Samsung confiscated. This incident highlights a broader pattern where Russian athletes were excluded from receiving the exclusive smartphones offered to other participants, a situation that also occurred at the previous 2024 Summer Games. This marks a significant shift from past Olympics where such sponsor gifts were standard for all.

At the 2026 Games, Ksenia Korzhova placed 12th in the 3000-meter event. According to her account, store assistants initially encouraged her to take a phone, saying, 'Take the phone, take the phone' and 'Everything is fine.' However, shortly afterward, an unspecified employee requested its return with the message:

“Good afternoon. We have received information that Ksenia received a phone. Please return it.”

Sponsor Gifts Denied

International Olympic Committee sponsor Samsung provided a special edition smartphone for participants of the 2026 Winter Games, with nearly 3,800 athletes slated to receive the mobile device. Russian competitors, however, did not get these gifts. This exclusion repeated the scenario from the 2024 Summer Olympics, where Russian athletes also missed out on Samsung phones, unlike at all previous Games where they had received them. The ongoing sanctions against Russian sports bodies following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine provide crucial context for these sponsor decisions.

Consequently, the case involving Ksenia Korzhova has become emblematic of the wider challenges Russian athletes now face on the international stage.

This episode underscores a trend of Russian sportspeople experiencing isolation at global competitions, likely a consequence of ongoing political and sporting sanctions. The denial of sponsor perks, once commonplace for all participants, signals a changed landscape for Russian athletes, potentially affecting team morale and their competitive environment.