Russia at the 2024 Olympics

Much has been said in recent weeks about the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to allow Russian and Belorussian athletes participating in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. 

Many argue that athletes from neither country should be allowed to participate, given Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the backing that Byelorussia has provided, and the tremendous damage that this war has perpetrated upon an innocent civilian population.

Others like the IOC argue that the war is not the fault of athletes and that they should not bear the brunt of sanctions against their governments. 

I believe that the IOC is wrong. 

Two weeks ago, the IOC announced that "no athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport".

You may be tempted to ask why the IOC would tolerate giving Russia a propaganda “win” by allowing its athletes to participate in the Paris Games. 

Thanks to their orchestrated and systematic doping at the Sochi games, Russia's Olympic team had been “banned” from last year's Winter Olympics in Beijing. This so-called ban nevertheless allowed Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag under the name of the Russian Olympic Committee but with no displays of the Russian flag, or the playing of its national anthem. It was viewed as a farce by all.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, many sports bodies have suspended Russian teams or athletes in protest, with the IOC recommending events in Russia be cancelled and Russian and Belarusian athletes compete under a neutral flag.

In its statement, IOC said “no athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport” and that “a pathway for athletes’ participation in competition under strict conditions should therefore be further explored.” 

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba responded immediately, saying that of the 71 medals that Russian competitors won at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, 45 went to athletes who were members of the Central Sports Club of the Russian Army, or CSKA.

"The army that commits atrocities, kills, rapes, and loots," Kuleba said. "This is whom the ignorant IOC wants to put under (the) white flag allowing (them) to compete."

Latvia's Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said on Tuesday “As all tyrannies do, it (Russia) uses sports for political purposes. The IOC should not become complicit in Russian propaganda efforts".

One may be tempted to ask why the IOC would allow this banning farce to continue when it has had absolutely no effect on Russian behavior in the past.

As my brother often tells me, follow the money.

When I served at the Canadian Embassy in Madrid from 1989 until 1993, one of my major activities was to liaise with the Barcelona Olympic Coordinating Committee (COOB) in charge of managing the 1992 summer Olympics.

During that time, I attended the meeting of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the Games themselves.

During the ANOC meeting, I saw how different groups competed for the hosting of future games, buying IOC voting members with trips, scholarships for their children, and other emoluments. These IOC members travelled first class, enjoyed the most luxurious surroundings, and were treated and lived like potentates. Athletes appeared to be an afterthought to the IOC members, who appeared to be more concerned with the perks of office and maintaining their luxurious lifestyle thanks to the way their system works. 

When I asked sports bureaucrats from a number of countries whether my perceptions were correct, they recommended that I read The Lords of the Rings by Andrew Jennings and Vyv Simson. That book confirmed that I was correct in my suspicions, and that much of what I had heard about the IOC was accurate.

So, my question is, how did Russia pressure the IOC to get its athletes into the competitions? 

Time will tell, as others more qualified than I investigate the reasons behind the IOC decision.

I believe that the IOC decision is wrong, and that its president, Thomas Bach, should prevent Russian and Byelorussian athletes from competing in any capacity until all Russian forces withdraw from Ukrainian territory and Ukraine’s territorial integrity is respected and recognized. 

In today’s world, one cannot separate Olympic sports from national identity. Olympic sports are part and parcel of national public diplomacy efforts, and athletes are its instruments. To allow athletes from Russia to participate sends a strong signal that the IOC is absolving Russia from any blame in the current war that Russia started for no reason other than its president’s greed.

Anything less will continue to fuel the fires of suspicion in the eyes of many that all of the negative perceptions the public has of the IOC could well be true, and the credibility of the Games as an institution will continue to suffer while it makes hundreds of millions of dollars from television rights and sponsorships.

In the end, the integrity of the athletes will suffer, and that will be a tragic result of a noble experiment gone awry.

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Edition: Estefanía Cardeña