Olympics organizers call on all competitions to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes amid invasion of Ukraine
While many global industries have been sluggish to take a hard stance over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one high-profile exception has been the international sporting community. Backlash against Russia and its ally, Belarus, has been rapid, decisive and worldwide in scope.
One of the most vocal critics has been the traditionally neutral International Olympic Committee. The organizing body has declared that Russia violated the Olympic Truce—a rule with roots in ancient Greece that today requires nations not to wage war during a period beginning seven days before the Olympics and ending seven days after the close of the Paralympics. In 2022, that period would last until March 20.
Today, as soccer governing body FIFA suspended Russia and ejected its team from World Cup consideration, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board also issued a resolution urging all international sporting events to prohibit Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing.
“In order to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants,” the resolution stated, “the IOC EB recommends that International Sports Federations and sports event organizers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.”
If it’s too late to exclude these athletes, the resolution continued, organizers should “do everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports official from Russia or Belarus be allowed to take part under the name of Russia or Belarus,” meaning no flags or colors for the two nations would be displayed, and their citizens would be considered “neutral athletes.”
The move followed the IOC’s Feb. 25 statement
urging all international competitions to cancel events scheduled in Russia or Belarus.
‘Football is fully united here’
The other—and more pressing—hammer to fall on Russia today was the joint decision by FIFA and the UEFA Champions League to suspend Russia and disqualify the country’s team from 2022 World Cup consideration. Russia was just weeks away from competing for one of Europe’s spots in the global soccer tournament, being held later this year in Qatar.
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” FIFA said in its statement announcing the measures.
Poland, which was slated to compete against Russia in a World Cup qualifier, had announced before FIFA’s decision that it would not take the field against the country amid its invasion of Ukraine. Poland, of course, was itself invaded by both Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939, setting off World War II and ending in Poland being ruled under Soviet control until 1989.
The national soccer associations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic had also issued a joint statement on Feb. 24 calling for World Cup play-off games in March not to be played in Russia.
Ukraine’s national team is scheduled to play against Scotland on March 24 in a World Cup qualifying match.
Prior to FIFA’s announcement, UEFA had already switched the Champions League final in May from St. Petersburg, Russia to Paris.
Other sporting actions against Russia
• The World Games, being held in Birmingham, Ala., this July, followed the IOC’s lead and today banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing. More than 60 athletes from Russia had been expected to compete across 17 events.
• British soccer team Manchester United on Feb. 25 ended its sponsorship deal with Aeroflot, Russia’s largest airline and the team’s official carrier since 2013. The move came a day after the U.K. banned Aeroflot from its airspace.
• German soccer team Schalke has removed the name and logo of its main sponsor, Gazprom, the Russian state-owned energy giant, from players’ shirts.
• Formula 1 decided not to hold its Grand Prix, scheduled for September, in Russia. Meanwhile, while one of the racing league’s teams, Haas, removed all livery from sponsor Uralkali, a Russian potash fertilizer producer, from its cars and website.
• Teams from the Premier League and Germany’s Bundesliga also protested the invasion over the weekend, with Leeds United showing messages of support on its advertising space in the stadium.
