The sports boycott is crumbling. The International Olympic Committee wants to open competitions and thus also the Olympics to athletes from Russia and Belarus again. A wrong signal, says DW editor Jens Krepela.
Fixed Olympic symbolism since 1896: peace doves at the opening ceremony (here in Beijing 2022)
The sport should bring people together instead of separating them. With this noble thought, the International Olympic Committee justifies its position to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in international competitions again under neutral flags. It's no secret that the focus is on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, for which the qualifying competitions will start in the next few months.
As expected, Ukraine reacted harshly to this discussion. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the idea could only be discussed if war and terror were stopped by Russia. Former Olympic champion Wladimir Klitschko called for the exclusion to be maintained.
View this post on Instagram
Irrespective of this, IOC President Thomas Bach “feels” for these considerations “a worldwide, huge majority.” And in fact there are also voices from the critical West who welcome this openness. Andreas Michelmann, President of the German Handball Federation, finds the step “understandable”. A spokeswoman for the US National Olympic Committee signaled cautious approval in the “Wall Street Journal” at the beginning of December.
Wondering about the IOC
Please what? So while friends and family are being bombarded at home, Ukrainian athletes are going head-to-head with competitors from Russia under the Olympic rings – in “peaceful competition,” as the IOC is so fond of propagating? An unreasonable scenario, which it all boils down to in the end, despite all the restrictions. Athletes from Belarus and Russia would still have to start under a neutral flag. A quick look at the Winter Games in Beijing shows that this is more of a window dressing than an effective sanction. Despite the ban, the Russian national colors were clearly visible at the closing ceremony.
Russian colors clearly recognizable: the neutral team of the Russian Olympic Committee in Beijing 2022
Several athletes from the Russian team allowed themselves to be harnessed for President Putin's war propaganda immediately after the games. Sport and the state have always been more closely linked there than anywhere else. This has been evident since the scandal surrounding Moscow's state doping. Another point that shows how seriously the Olympic values are taken in Russia. The extensive exclusion from international competitions is therefore hard but right.
Sport and politics prefer to be separated
If you look at the individual, the picture becomes more differentiated. Like the IOC, DHB boss Michelmann also argues: You can't “hold the athletes responsible for the politics of their country.” In theory that's right, but it turns out to be an unsolvable problem in practice.
When it came to letting Russian athletes start again after the doping affair, the IOC was able to refer to hard facts such as verifiable tests and laboratory values. Such a selection could not be made now.
DW editor Jens Krepela
After all, there are some athletes who support Putin, even though they have lived abroad for years – such as NHL star Alexander Ovechkin. There are also critical spirits who cautiously speak out against the war – such as tennis star Alexander Rublev. The existing collective punishment hits everyone and is therefore delicate. Nevertheless, it is correct – because regardless of the political stance of the individual: the Kremlin would use any sporting successes for propaganda purposes and thus strengthen its position in the war.
It must be clear: Sport is always a stage. Just a few days ago, a Ukrainian and a “neutral” athlete from Russia faced each other at the Australian Open. Spectators in the stands cheered with Russian flags and a portrait of Putin and attracted worldwide attention. The organizer then felt compelled to ban the Russian flag – and thus deprive Putin supporters of the public stage as quickly as possible -President Bach finally raised human rights in the controversy. He argues that special rapporteurs at the UN Human Rights Council have expressed concerns. An exclusion “because of a passport or place of birth” violates the ban on discrimination. Can one compare such discrimination against a Russian athlete with the consequences of Russian attacks on the Ukrainian civilian population?
The suffering is distributed very unequally. Banning individuals based on where they come from is unfair, no question. It should also end as soon as possible. Now is but (still) the completely wrong time for that.