Just like the nation’s economy, Russian sport has been hit with a wave of sanctions in the wake of the military operation in Ukraine
Sport, it seems, is not immune to politics – just ask the Russian athletes who have been affected by the sweeping sanctions placed on their country since Moscow began its military operation in Ukraine.
But how far-reaching are the sanctions, and how has Russia responded to them?
Here, we look at some of the key questions surrounding Russian sport as it faces isolation from numerous international showpieces.
Justifying its decision, the IOC accused Russia and Belarus of “breaching the Olympic Truce” and said the events in Ukraine put the organization in a “dilemma which cannot be solved.”
That includes major organizations such as football’s FIFA and UEFA – meaning that the Russian men’s team is set to miss the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Russian and Belarusian figure skating stars have been barred from events including the World Championship in France this month, while athletes from the two nations have been prevented from competing by World Athletics, even as neutrals.
Other sports where Russia traditionally shines such as gymnastics have also banned Russian athletes completely, although sanctions span a host of less popular sports, ranging from canoeing to karate.
Russia has also been stripped of sporting showpieces. The highest-profile was the UEFA Champions League final due to be played in St. Petersburg in May, which has been relocated to Paris. UEFA also ended its sponsorship deal with Russian energy giant Gazprom.
The Formula One Russian Grand Prix scheduled for Sochi in September has been scrapped, as has the race in St. Petersburg next year.
Elsewhere, the FINA Swimming World Championships set for Kazan in December were canceled this week.
Beyond athletes and officials, Russian dignitaries have been stripped of international accolades, including the Olympic orders given to President Vladimir Putin and Russian officials Dmitry Chernyshenko and Dmitry Kozak.
Likewise, the International Skiing Federation (FIS) had said it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals but relented under the threat of boycotts.
The International Biathlon Union (IBU) said it would “invite individual athletes from these nations to compete as neutral athletes,” but strictly without national symbols on display. Russia later said it would not attend events anyway, citing “the risk of humiliation and security fears.”
Even though motor racing federation the FIA has cleared Russian and Belarusian racers to appear as neutrals, countries such as the UK have said they will refuse to grant licenses to drivers from the countries. Russian F1 racer Nikita Mazepin lost his seat at American team Haas, which also ended its sponsorship deal with Russian company Uralkali.
Boxing officials in the UK have also said they will refuse to allow fighters with licenses in Russia or Belarus to compete on British shores.
Notably, Russian stars are still free to play in foreign leagues such as the NHL, where Alexander Ovechkin continues to star for the Washington Capitals, or the likes of the Serie A and Ligue 1 football leagues in Italy and France respectively.
Fans in Russia will not be able to see many of their nation’s foreign-based stars, however, after the likes of the French Ligue 1 ended contract agreements with Russian broadcasters.
Countering those claims, the IOC has said it is a “weak argument” to suggest that politics is interfering with sporting principles.
In some cases, Russia has launched legal appeals. The Russian Football Union (RFU) turned to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland to overturn the suspensions by FIFA and UEFA, although those efforts have been unsuccessful.
There has been defiance from some Russian athletes, with double Olympic champion swimmer Evgeny Rylov boycotting the World Championships in a show of solidarity with his compatriots, before it was confirmed that Russian participants would be banned.
Elsewhere, Olympic high jump gold medalist Mariya Lasitskene has refused to meet Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin, with her husband saying the three-time world champion feels disillusioned at yet more bans after years of WADA sanctions against Russia.
Some individual Russian athletes have been targeted due to apparent shows of support for Putin or the military operation in Ukraine. Swimmer Rylov is being investigated by FINA for appearing at a Moscow concert marking the reunification of Russia and Crimea. Russian chess star Sergey Karjakin has been banned for six months by FIDE for issuing his public support for President Putin.
Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak is also facing a ban for appearing on the podium at a World Cup event with a ‘Z’ attached to his leotard, a symbol which has been displayed on Russian military hardware in Ukraine and is used to show support for the operation.
Elsewhere, the likes of Russian tennis stars Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova have issued calls for peace as they continue to compete under neutral status.
https://ift.tt/lsZmhOK 24, 2022 at 06:58PM
from RT – Daily news
