AP slammed for report about European Olympic teams being too white

The Associated Press faced backlash after releasing a report lamenting that Europe’s changing demographics are not reflected in national rosters for the Winter Olympics

In a post on X, the AP wrote, “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.”

Video shared by the AP highlighted Sweden as an example, noting that despite a large influx of migrants in recent years, the country’s Olympic teams remain almost entirely composed of ethnic Swedish athletes. The AP reported that experts cited “barriers” such as financial, geographical, and social factors as reasons for the lack of representation, adding that a major cultural shift would be required for significant change.

The reporting prompted criticism online, including from Under Secretary of State Sarah B. Rogers, who responded on X, “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.”

In recent decades, Sweden has accepted large numbers of asylum seekers, a policy that has led to political backlash and growing public concern. The country’s right-wing government has said it plans to tighten immigration rules this year, citing issues linked to immigration, including a surge in gang crime that has involved shootings and grenade attacks. As a result, the number of asylum applicants has fallen sharply.

According to a report by Reuters, the number of immigrants in Sweden dropped to 79,684 last year from 82,857 in 2024. Asylum seekers and family members make up only six percent of the total, compared to 3 percent in 2018.