Anything is still possible for Russian and Belarusian athletes at the upcoming Olympic Games: the International Olympic Committee is unnecessarily putting off its decision on exclusion. And under certain conditions, athletes from these countries are now admitted again to events in their sports – as “neutral individuals”. The IOC is sticking to an idea that sounds great: the young people of the world meet at an international sports festival and show how it can be done. International understanding, togetherness, joy.
It’s the eternal sermon: the peacemaking mission of the IOC. The Olympic Movement as a bridge builder across the wars of this world. What a beautiful dream. Only: hiding reality does not apply.
Sport is useful for propaganda
International sporting events are not a low-threshold peace journey. They also work through the display of a competition of nations. It is precisely this sports stage that autocratic regimes use for their internal propaganda. Russia’s ruler Putin has demonstrated this flawlessly in recent years. The Olympic Games of the past few years have shown how little the concept of “neutral athletes” can do justice to its label at international sporting events. With Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major instead of the Russian anthem, the entire Olympic audience knew who was meant.
The IOC is now recommending to its sports associations: No sports soldiers, that actually makes up the majority of athletes. Do not allow Russian teams. Both are essential if sport does not want to be completely openly used as a stage for war propaganda. But then the IOC becomes vague again: No active supporters of the war should be admitted – it remains open how this will be measured.
Ukrainian athletes also have rights
As a basis for its decision-making, the IOC has been referring to the statements of two UN special rapporteurs for months. They express their concerns when athletes are excluded across the board because of their passport. However, the IOC is more cautious about other voices and opinions, namely those that consider exclusion in the face of a war of aggression to be permissible. Because: Ukrainian athletes also have rights that need to be protected – also on the Olympic stage.
For Ukrainian athletes, partial admission remains a provocation. An IOC that is really serious about its constantly promoted peace-building mission takes action. And leaves no doubt that it cannot be exploited.