Russian para athletes kicked out of Games
James Ellingworth |
Faced with threats of withdrawals and growing animosity in the Athletes Village, organisers of the Winter Paralympics on Thursday reversed course and expelled athletes from Russia and Belarus.
The about-face came less than 24 hours after the International Paralympic Committee announced it would allow Russians and Belarusians to compete when the Games open on Friday, but only as neutral athletes with colors, flags and other national symbols removed because of the invasion of Ukraine.
The Paralympics in Beijing, which follow the Winter Olympics, close on March 13.
“The war has now come to these Games and behind the scenes many governments are having an influence on our cherished event,” IPC President Andrew Parsons said after announcing the ban.
“We were trying to protect the Games from war.”
Parsons said the IPC underestimated the negative reaction to letting Russians and Belarusians compete – even as neutral athletes.
The Athletes Village, which Parsons hoped would be a place of harmony, he now depicted as a tinderbox.
And it was not only Ukrainians resenting the Russian and Belarusian participation, but across the board.
“We don’t have reports of any specific incidents of aggression or anything like that,” Parsons said.
“But it was a very, very volatile environment in the (Athletes) Village.”
The restrictions on athletes and teams have been strongly criticised by Russian politicians and on Wednesday by striker Artem Dzyuba, the top scorer for the Russian national soccer team.
The Zenit St. Petersburg player wrote on Instagram that he is “against any war. War is terrible.”
But he added he found sporting sanctions a form of discrimination.
“I am against discrimination based on nationality,” Dzyuba wrote. “I’m not ashamed to be Russian. I am proud to be Russian. And I don’t understand why athletes have to suffer now.”
Formula One has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, saying on Thursday that Russia “will not have a race” in the future.
F1 already cancelled this year’s race, which had been scheduled to be held in Sochi on September 25.
But following further discussions this week, F1 went a step further and ended a contract which ran until 2025.
The governing body for British motorsports banned Russians from competing at events in the country, meaning Formula One driver Nikita Mazepin won’t be able to race in the British Grand Prix in July.
The invasion of Ukraine has also led to a reshaping of sports’ corporate ties to Russia.
As Roman Abramovich decided to sell Chelsea, fellow Premier League club Everton have ended their sponsorship with companies belonging to Alisher Usmanov, another Russian billionaire who was placed under European Union sanctions last week.
Premier League games this weekend will be preceded by a show of solidarity toward Ukraine, with captains also wearing armbands in the blue and yellow of the country’s flag.
Video game publisher EA Sports announced it would remove Russian clubs and the national team from its hugely popular FIFA series, and would take the Russia and Belarus hockey teams out of its NHL series.
There has also been an exodus of foreign players and coaches at Russian sports teams, with former Norwich manager Daniel Farke quitting as coach of Russian soccer club FC Krasnodar.
Borussia Dortmund have withdrawn honorary club membership from former Germany Chancellor Gerhard Schroder because of the 77-year-old’s unwillingness to resign from his positions with Russian state-owned energy companies.
AP
