President of Ukraine last week Volodymyr Zelenskypicked up the phone and called the president of the International Olympic Committee, German. Thomas Bach, reminding him that “184 Ukrainian athletes have died since the Russian invasion” and reiterated his demand for “wholesale isolation” of Russia and its ally Belarus. All this came after IOC circles agreed that the readmission of Russian sports into competitions was being considered.

Boxing leads the way

In fact, the World Boxing Association, which celebrated its Centennial Convention in Orlando, USA on December 13, lifted the ban on Russian and Belarusian boxers, becoming the first association to officially reinstate them. The argument put forward was “The athletes of this country are not soldiers or part of the government, so they have nothing to do with the state. War against Ukraine or whatever conflict is taking place. However, it was determined that boxers who spoke in favor of the war or were involved in the war would be expelled immediately.”

A decision confirming that the sport has begun the path to re-admit Russian and Belarusian athletes to competitions, an initiative that has been highly debated by the international community. At the moment, they are trying to turn a hand to individual athletes who, in most cases, do not compete under the Russian flag. For many, pressure from the Turkish Government emerged after this maneuver. Vladimir PutinAiming to gain visibility with the power of its athletes, using sports as a propaganda tool. There are numerous examples of political regimes in history that have used sport for advertising, from Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union, East Germany, or modern China. However, in this geopolitical pulse that isolates Russia, the USA finds the opportunity to find a position for its athletes in the absence of the Russians, which are its great rivals, along with the Chinese.

Many argue that the relationship between Putin and International Olympic Committee chairman Thomas Bach explains this drift, to which sports such as winter sports, ice skiing, track and field or boxing, in which Russia has a lot of influence, are added. Some, like former Estonian Defense Minister Indrek Kannik, dared to voice this: “Thomas Bach has a long-standing relationship with President Putin.. In March 2022 Bach publicly expressed his opposition, but I think this was largely due to public pressure after the invasion began. Bach plays this game very well, but I have no confidence in him.”

When confirmed suspicions On 14 December, the Asian Olympic Committee proposed to facilitate the participation of sanctioned athletes in international competitions in Asia. is under his jurisdiction. Michael Payne, former IOC marketing chief, explained Bach’s dilemma: “This is probably the most difficult decision Bach has faced in his presidency. He and the IOC are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The Ukrainian war has lasted much longer than expected, but the IOC’s stance has not been to soften. Their real raison d’etre is to use sport as a unifying, perhaps the only platform, and to hold the world together. It’s a pragmatic evolution in a virtually no-win situation.”

According to Kannik, “the reason why such speculations constantly arise is not that the governing bodies of sports organizations in many countries are corrupt, but rather that they are heavily influenced by totalitarian superpowers. I’m not just talking about Russia, I’m talking about China as well. The influence of these countries in sports organizations is huge, And they’re probably trying to use them as a tool to influence other international organizations as well.”

Among the federations that have proposed the possibility of reinstatement of these athletes is the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), whose general secretary Michel Vion suggested in September that Russia and Belarus could return and compete in international competitions. From December without their flags and national anthems. But the Council meeting in October approved “the continuation of the policy of not allowing Russian and Belarusian teams and athletes to participate in all FIS competitions”. something not hidden The official document of the FIS for the 2023 season of the Cross Country World Cup predicted that there would be Russia with six male and female athletes and three Belarusians for each gender.

Faced with this possibility, the Scandinavian federations positioned themselves against it. MoreoverThe Finnish Federation and the Norwegian Federation jointly called for a ban on the participation of representatives of Russia and Belarus. at FIS meetings after they have been allowed to attend fall meetings. Norway went so far as to boycott the sessions involving Russia, while Finland did not do so, fearing the growing influence of Russia and Belarus. Skiers like Swedish three-time medal winner Maja Dahlqvist in Beijing 2022 have threatened to boycott the 2023 Nordic World Ski Championships if they participate.

Judo will make an assessment in January about possible reintegration of Russian and Belarusian judokas, which will cause Ukrainians to leave the circuit in protest. And in football, FIFA, another organization involved in numerous corruption cases like the IOC, refused to broadcast a message from Zelenski ahead of the World Cup final in Qatar, but for now the veto for the Russian national team remains in effect. and clubs.