ROC secretary general Anastasia Davydova has fled Russia

On Tuesday, the Russian state news agency TASS reported the five-time Olympic medalist and Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) secretary general Anastasia Davydova has fled Russia and has no plans to return. Davydova has served on the ROC since her retirement from synchronized swimming following the London 2012 Games.

Last week, ROC president Stanislav Pozdnyakov made a statement saying Russian athletes should feel honored to be called up to serve in Vladimir Putin’s military operation. Some of those athletes who have taken part in rallies showing support, however, have received sanctions from governing bodies. Two-time Olympic backstroke champion Evgeny Rylov was sanctioned by FINA for appearing at a Putin rally in Moscow with the “Z” symbol of the Russian war on Ukraine emblazoned on his jacket. It remains unclear if Rylov is actually a Putin supporter or if he had been following Russian orders to play a part in the crowd for the rally.

While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been vocal about governing bodies banning Russian athletes amid Putin’s Ukrainian invasion, it has yet to get involved with the ROC and its president following his show of support. The IOC has a constitution and mantra in place for its members that screams “no politics,” but Pozdnyakov has clearly stepped over that line with his comments.

It does appear, however, the show of support from some of her constituents was too much for Davydova and she has made that abundantly clear by fleeing the nation. Davydova’s mentor and Russia’s head synchronized swimming coach, Tatiana Danchenko, confirmed her former pupil had left the nation. The ROC reported to TASS that Davydova has not resigned from her seat yet.

It is not yet known if Davydova left the country by herself or with family, but she is not the first to try to exit with Putin’s announcement of the mobilization of around 300,000 troops coming last week. Lines at the borders of Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia are long and tiresome while flights are in high demand for fear of a decree being put in place restricting men from leaving Russia.

Davydova is the first confirmation of a big-name former athlete and ROC member to flee, but with this military operation still fully in motion, it is unlikely that she will be the last.