Russian language returns to Olympics: What it means for media and athletes
2026 Winter Olympics (Photo: Getty Images)
The organizing committee for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy has determined the list of official working languages for the tournament. Despite international sanctions, Russian has been added to the list of media services.
Technological solutions for foreign journalists
During the upcoming Winter Games in Italy, accredited media representatives will have access to expanded language support.
According to internal documents from the organizers, eight main languages were selected to facilitate communication.
In addition to the host country’s official language, Italian, and the traditional Olympic languages, English and French, the list includes German, Korean, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), and Russian.
Organizers expect that this selection will help cover the world’s largest media markets.
Special app and press center support
To assist reporters, software has been developed to provide real-time simultaneous translation of key Olympic events.
The mobile app will support all eight languages, allowing journalists to quickly broadcast athletes’ and officials’ statements to their audiences.
Particular attention has been given to equipping the main conference halls. At locations hosting official briefings and medalist interviews, direct simultaneous translation will be available.
Foreign delegations will be able to access Italian content translated into French, German, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Russian.
These measures aim to fully automate media processes and remove language barriers during coverage of the quadrennial sporting event.
Earlier, we reported on who will broadcast the 2026 Olympics in Ukraine and where to watch free streams.
We also covered how many neutral Russian and Belarusian athletes will participate in the 2026 Winter Games.
