'US authorities have clarified': IOC president calls ICE protests, Epstein files distraction ahead of Winter Olympics

The 2026 Winter Olympics begin February 6 in Milan and Cortina but ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the event, it has to compete with other news items for attention. Protests have erupted in Milan over the involvement of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in security at the Games. Also, two members of the IOC were mentioned in the Epstein Files.

As these controversies threaten to take the focus away from the sporting event, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry has said that such distractions are sad. She also remains confident that the focus will shift towards the actual sports once the event begins.

‘Distraction is sad’

Days ahead of the Winter Olympics, Coventry said that distractions have always come up leading to the Games but once the competition begins, everything fades away.

“I think anything that is distracting from these Games is sad, right? But we’ve learned over the many years … there’s always been something that has taken the lead, leading up to the Games,” Coventry said. “Whether it has been Zika, COVID, there has always been something.

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“But what is keeping my faith alive is that when that opening ceremony happens and those athletes start competing, suddenly the world remembers the magic and the spirit that the games have and they get to suddenly remember what’s actually important and they get to be inspired and so we’re really looking forward to that.”

On the protests over ICE deployment in control rooms during the Olympics, Coventry said that US authorities have provided clarifications regarding the matter.

“From all the information that we have and I believe that the US authorities, as the other authorities, have made all the clarifications needed, so from our side that’s not for us to further comment on that part of the security. But we’re really looking forward to the games,” Coventry said.

Two IOC officials, Richard Carrion, a Puerto Rican banker who finished runner-up to former IOC president Thomas Bach in the 2013 election; and Johan Eliasch, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation president who was one of Coventry’s opponents last March, were named in the Epstein Files. Though, none of them have been connected to any wrongdoing.

“In terms of IOC members, we’re obviously watching and monitoring the media and we’re aware of a few things that have been reported just today and we need some time to look into that and to be given intel," said Coventry about the developments.

Also messages between Casey Wasserman, the head of the Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, and Epstein’s one-time girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell have also been revealed in the latest released documents.