AP Ridiculed Over Article on Lack of Ethnic Diversity at Winter Olympics

AP Ridiculed Over Article on Lack of Ethnic Diversity at Winter Olympics

There is nothing on this planet that the mainstream media won’t try to “wokify” in some way, shape, or form, and the Winter Olympics are no exception, as was demonstrated this week by the Associated Press.

The purported news outlet thoroughly embarrassed itself with a piece that centered around the lack of ethnic diversity at the winter games, presenting it as a problematic and discriminatory issue that needed to be addressed by society and the people in power (aka government):

Immigration from Africa and the Middle East has transformed the demographics of Europe in recent decades. And while the growing diversity is reflected in many sports such as soccer — Sweden’s men’s national team has several Black players including Liverpool striker Alexander Isak — it hasn’t made a dent in winter sports.

At the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Sweden is sending a team made up almost exclusively of ethnically Swedish athletes, with NHL player Mika Zibanejad, whose father is from Iran, a rare exception. That hardly reflects the diversity of the Nordic country: About 2 million of its 10 million residents were born abroad, about half of them in Asia or Africa, according to national statistics agency SCB.

The lack of athletes of color at the Winter Olympics — and in winter sports in general — has been a recurring theme in the U.S., which is sending one of its most diverse teams to the Games. It hasn’t gotten the same attention in Europe.

The Olympic rosters of France, Germany, Switzerland and other European winter sports nations look a lot like Sweden’s: overwhelmingly white and lacking the immigrant representation seen in their soccer or basketball teams.

While giving only a passing reference to geographic and familial considerations, the AP quoted “academics” who framed it as more of an “access” issue that needed to be corrected:

There are also financial and geographical factors at play. Immigrants in Sweden typically live in major urban areas, away from skiing hubs in the mountains, and are often in less-privileged economic positions. Participating in winter sports can be expensive because of the need to buy or rent equipment and clothing, and paying for travel and a ski pass.

“It’s a fact that the best integrative force in society is team sports and sports clubs, where kids can go to do useful things together with others,” said Stefan Jonsson, a professor in Ethnicity and Migration Studies at Linköping University. “There is so much research saying if we want social and ethnic integration, this would be the primary thing.”

Left out of the story was whether there was any actual demand for more access to such equipment and facilities, which means we can safely assume there is likely not much of a demand for them. But the AP is bound and determined to try to create one, however,

Quite predictably, the AP then tried to shame the Swedish ski federation into doing more to promote ethnic diversity and “inclusion”:

Asked about its attempts to get more people from diverse backgrounds into skiing, Sweden’s ski federation said “we want to be better” and added that “inclusion is something we strive for.”

Their video report was even more clownish:

The U.S. is not alone in grappling with diversity in winter sports. In Europe, immigration from Africa and the Middle East has rapidly changed the demographics of the top winter sports countries. That won't be reflected in their rosters for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. pic.twitter.com/VvUmRIt1Nz

— The Associated Press (@AP) January 29, 2026

The AP was deservedly ridiculed over its focus on this overhyped non-issue, including by the New York Post:

Associated Press complains the Winter Olympics are too darn white https://t.co/BYC5w0U5Z5 pic.twitter.com/XIaMEP7nbt

— New York Post (@nypost) February 6, 2026

Wait til you guys find out about the racial demographics in the NBA or on NFL defenses.

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 30, 2026

let me get this right. the problem is that sweden’s team is made up of swedish people?

— liv (@livvyivvyivvy) January 30, 2026

Imagine being outraged when a country is represented by their native-born citizens at the Olympics.

— Hockeymama (@MNHockeymama) January 29, 2026

Wait til the AP finds out about the 100 meter dash https://t.co/qdgZmlmDMc pic.twitter.com/DE6cwUoeLn

— Billy McMorris (@FBillMcMorris) January 29, 2026

I, for one , am shocked that recent refugees from the eastern deserts of Syria aren’t dominating the Finnish Ski Jumping team. https://t.co/oUjMnk7i0p

— Jon Gabriel (@exjon) January 29, 2026

We don't grapple with diversity.

We send the best of each sport. If that happens to be a person of color, or a white person, or asian or hispanic, that is who we send.

The United States has dominated the world stage because we celebrate and reward EXCELLENCE, not "diversity." https://t.co/hD1oy8zVmA

— Tom Steele (@tsteele93) January 31, 2026

Why does diversity matter in winter sports?

Are we going to force people to speed skate against their will because we need more speed skaters of different colors? https://t.co/ktQzk37w6K

— Diane Yap (@RealDianeYap) January 30, 2026

Black athletes dominate a number of sports
Everyone: Cool, let's all enjoy this display of athleticism
White athletes dominate a number of sports
Media: This is racism
Everyone: Cool story bro, we're going to enjoy this display of athleticism you go cry in the corner https://t.co/babxthGoSR

— Sean Fitzgerald (Actual Justice Warrior) (@IamSean90) February 3, 2026

Someone who takes themselves very seriously wrote these words and submitted them to their editor, who approved it.

In today’s news, people from places without winter don’t often participate in snow sports. https://t.co/5xKl8rkswR

— Matt Henkel (@mhenks05) January 29, 2026

The AP is concerned that there are too few Somalis snowboarding for the Swedish Olympic team. Every time you think the media has evolved to be more sophisticated and serious since the 2012-2020 era, you get an item like this. https://t.co/CNGKrcfik6

— Under Secretary of State Sarah B. Rogers (@UnderSecPD) January 31, 2026

Yep. Never fails.

– Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via X. –

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