Director General, Global Athlete
Joined August 2018
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Rob Koehler retweeted
A 🇷🇺 #Olympian is KIA fighting in russia's genocidal war against #Ukraine and @iocmedia & #KirstyCoventry are silent.
Instead the #IOC continues the narrative of "athletes aren't responsible for the actions of their government," that sport isn't political
xitter.cf/Ukrsportbase/status/21…
25 October: @iwfnet awards the 2030 World Championships to Russia.
26 October: @UNHumanRights reports crimes against humanity by Russian.
This is international sport under @iocmedia President Kirsty Coventry, accommodating Russia - ignoring its atrocities.
ohchr.org/en/press-releases/…
Rob Koehler retweeted
@IBSFsliding
what a shame to your support of #ruZZians_are_terrorists
Russian skeleton and bobsleigh athlete has become part of the Russian army.
This is Kirill Gusev.
As recently as last season, he took part in all-Russian bobsleigh competitions.
Now he is a Russian serviceman. In one of the photos, he proudly shows a patch with the inscription “we destroying cities for money.” On his social media, he actively posts materials related to his affiliation with the terrorist army that is currently committing genocide against Ukrainians. It is this army that is responsible for the daily shelling of our cities and for the civilian casualties, including small children.
In a few days, an extraordinary congress of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) will take place, and at the initiative of the IBSF Executive Committee, the issue of returning Russian athletes to international competitions without restrictions will be considered.
They propose to remove the neutrality verification criteria, which included checks for affiliation with Russian military structures, support for the war, and other factors. This is being done deliberately so that Kirill and others like him, accomplices in Russia’s crimes, can freely participate in international competitions and use our sport to spread Russian propaganda, normalize the actions of their government, and strengthen Putin’s regime.
For us, it is obvious that the situation has not changed in any way since 2022, and Russian sport continues to be a powerful tool of the Russian propaganda machine.
Russian athletes must be suspended from international sport.
And it seems that the IBSF @IBSFsliding needs to be reminded of this.
Ban Russia.
Rob Koehler retweeted
Sensational information from Vladyslav Heraskevych
Russian skeleton and bobsleigh athlete has become part of the Russian army.
This is Kirill Gusev.
As recently as last season, he took part in all-Russian bobsleigh competitions.
Now he is a Russian serviceman. In one of the photos, he proudly shows a patch with the inscription “we destroying cities for money.” On his social media, he actively posts materials related to his affiliation with the terrorist army that is currently committing genocide against Ukrainians. It is this army that is responsible for the daily shelling of our cities and for the civilian casualties, including small children.
In a few days, an extraordinary congress of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) will take place, and at the initiative of the IBSF Executive Committee, the issue of returning Russian athletes to international competitions without restrictions will be considered.
They propose to remove the neutrality verification criteria, which included checks for affiliation with Russian military structures, support for the war, and other factors. This is being done deliberately so that Kirill and others like him, accomplices in Russia’s crimes, can freely participate in international competitions and use our sport to spread Russian propaganda, normalize the actions of their government, and strengthen Putin’s regime.
For us, it is obvious that the situation has not changed in any way since 2022, and Russian sport continues to be a powerful tool of the Russian propaganda machine.
Russian athletes must be suspended from international sport.
And it seems that the IBSF @IBSFsliding needs to be reminded of this.
Ban Russia.
Rob Koehler retweeted
⚾ Years of experience across sport and labour relations.
Ian Penny of the MLBPA joins WPI 2026 in Dublin, bringing valuable insights into the economic challenges facing professional athletes and the structures shaping the future of sport.
🔗 event.fourwaves.com/wpi2026
Rob Koehler retweeted
Russian Olympic champion Zaurbek Sidakov is promoting a wrestling tournament honoring Bimbulat Kochiev, who took part in the aggression against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the IOC continues to recommend allowing athletes like Sidakov to compete without restrictions.
Rob Koehler retweeted
🔬 High performance and athlete wellbeing should go hand in hand.
Professor Sophia Nimphius joins WPI 2026 in Dublin, bringing her expertise in athlete health, performance, and sport integrity to explore how research can drive meaningful change.
🔗 event.fourwaves.com/wpi2026
Rob Koehler retweeted
‘Using the power of the presidency..’
No.
Using FIFA’s money, which is to say our money -the participants, players, fans - to purchase support.
That’s not power.
That’s buying support, silence, fealty and acquiescence.
Rob Koehler retweeted
Players’ voices matter. They deserve a say in decisions affecting their lives, on and off the field.
Union busting undermines that right, through retaliation, intimidation or tactics that weaken independent player representation.
🔎 Explore our toolkit: worldplayersassociation.com/…
Rob Koehler retweeted
Official statement by the Ministry of Sports of Ukraine:
The inaction of the IOC allows the head of the Russian Olympic Committee, Mikhail Degtyarev, to involve athletes in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Turning a blind eye to such actions undermines integrity in sport.
Rob Koehler retweeted
Russian “neutrality.”
Cyclist, two-time Olympian and Russian soldier Sergei Kucherov was eliminated by the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the so-called “SMO.”
During his sports career, he competed in the team sprint at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and in London in 2012. He was also a champion of Russia and a medalist at international cycling competitions.
Then, as you already understood, he joined the terrorist army of Russia and, as part of the Russian army, took part in the occupation of Ukraine. During that he was eliminated by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
This is far from the first case of a prominent Russian athlete being involved in the genocide of Ukrainians, yet despite this the IOC and other international sports organizations continue to talk about “innocent Russian athletes” and “sport out of politics.”
Since the start of the full-scale invasion it has already become clear that Russian sports is actively participating in this war.
Russian sports must be excluded from the international arena.
International sport must not be used to spread Russian propaganda of murders and crimes against humanity.
If international sports federations are not prepared to protect the sporting arena from Russian propaganda, then countries should introduce a visa ban for Russian athletes and sports officials.
Ban Russia.
Rob Koehler retweeted
The IOC became 'useful idiots' for Russia.
Vladimir Putin's government is taking every opportunity afforded by the @iocmedia decision to lift sanctions on Russia.
The Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev is wasting no chance to make it look like he and the @Olympics are working together to restore Russia to the top table of international sport.
In this special *public* edition of the #ZeusFiles, we examine how the IOC became 'useful idiots' for Russia duncanmackayveritas.substack…
Rob Koehler retweeted
Vladimir Putin's government is taking every opportunity afforded by the @iocmedia decision to lift sanctions on Russia.
The Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev is wasting no chance to make it look like he and the @Olympics are working together to restore Russia to the top table of international sport.
In this special *public* edition of the #ZeusFiles, we examine how the IOC became 'useful idiots' for Russia duncanmackayveritas.substack…
Rob Koehler retweeted
🎙️ Meet the speakers at World Players Institute 2026!
Leading voices from academia, player associations and sport will explore how research can drive change in athlete wellbeing, labour rights, gender equity and beyond.
📍 Dublin | 27–28 October
🔗 event.fourwaves.com/wpi2026
Rob Koehler retweeted
The IOC continues to insist that supporters of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine take part in international tournaments
Anhelina and her mother, Inna, lost their lives in a Russian attack.
Anhelina was just over one year old.
They were in a park, when a Russian drone struck.
Rob Koehler retweeted
What is most surprising here is not even Degtyarev himself, who is a puppy of putin’s regime.
But the fact that, despite all these repeated facts about Degtyarev’s support for the war, and even the fact that he has been added to the EU sanctions list, the IOC and Ms. Coventry continue to cooperate closely with him.
This casts such a shadow over the Olympic movement and completely destroys the entire peacemaking mission of the IOC.
Shame.
Rob Koehler retweeted
What a shame to @Olympics @iocmedia ‼️
What a shame to all sponsors of #international_olympic_commettee for complicity in the destruction of the #Olympic_movement .
@Visa
@Airbnb
@SamsungMobile
What is most surprising here is not even Degtyarev himself, who is a puppy of putin’s regime.
But the fact that, despite all these repeated facts about Degtyarev’s support for the war, and even the fact that he has been added to the EU sanctions list, the IOC and Ms. Coventry continue to cooperate closely with him.
This casts such a shadow over the Olympic movement and completely destroys the entire peacemaking mission of the IOC.
Shame.
Rob Koehler retweeted
Shameful decision by the @WorldPentathlon to strip #Lithuania of its World Cup event for refusing to turn a blind eye to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. This sets a dangerous precedent and sends a fundamentally wrong message.
Lithuania’s position has been clear from day one: we will not help normalise the participation of representatives of aggressor states — Russia and Belarus — in international sport. Russia continues its brutal war against #Ukraine, while Belarus remains complicit in enabling that.
The EU must tighten restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing under national colours, expand visa bans and sanctions, and cut support for those enabling state-sponsored propaganda.
Lithuania will never normalise aggression. We will stand with Ukraine not only when it is convenient, but especially when it is not.
Rob Koehler retweeted
The @Olympics approach to past Games was hardly serious with respect to #humanrights (see at least obvious #China govt abuses in 2008, 2022), so more than a bit skeptical about this new “Fit for the Future” approach. @MinkysHighjinks
nytimes.com/athletic/7697128…
