There are many indications that the Paris 2024 Olympic organizers will allow Russian athletes under a neutral flag. That would be wrong in every respect – and could change the power structure of organized sport.
Ukrainian refugees protest against the readmission of Russian athletes to the Olympic Games, ahead of the speech by IOC President Thomas Bach in Essen.
Jana Rodenbusch / Reuters
Few politicians have inflicted serious damage on Olympic values as often as Vladimir Putin. He doesn’t care about the principle of the Olympic truce, i.e. the renunciation of military attacks during the competitions. Russia’s rulers attacked Georgia during the 2008 Summer Games. The Ukraine War began in 2022 between the closing ceremony of the Winter Games and the opening of the Paralympics.
