The Albany Gazette - Most unwanted? How sports treat the Russia problem

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says it is yet to make a decision on whether Russians can compete at the Paris Olympics next year but last week recommended they return to competition.

That stance has received a mixed welcome from federations.

Here, AFP Sport looks at how sports are handling the dilemma.

- ATHLETICS -

One of the two marquee sports of the Olympics took a hardline stance even before the IOC announcement declaring athletes remain barred from competition while Moscow's invasion of Ukraine continues. The president of World Athletics, Sebastian Coe, said "the unprecedented sanctions" imposed on Russia and Belarus by countries around the world "appear to be the only peaceful way to disrupt and disable Russia's current intentions and restore peace".

- SWIMMING -

The other main Olympic sport has taken a different tack as governing body World Aquatics announced on Wednesday it had accepted the IOC's recommendation.

However, Russian and Belarusian swimmers should not hold their breath about competing in this year's world championships in Japan as a taskforce exploring the pathway for them to return will only report back in July -- the month the championships take place.

That does not mean they are out of the running for the Paris Olympics as the sport's rules means swimmers have until late next June to match the qualifying times.

- TENNIS -

Russian and Belarusian players are allowed to compete on the main ATP and WTA tours but not under their flags or country names. They are banned from the Davis Cup and BJK Cup team tournaments. Players from Russia and Belarus have been boosted -- much to the ire of their Ukrainian rivals -- by getting the green light to compete at Wimbledon this year having been banned in 2022. Ironically Moscow-born Elena Rybakina, competing for Kazakhstan, won last year's women's singles title.

- FOOTBALL -

Russia was thrown out of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup and are banned from Euro 2024 qualifying.

Denis Rogachev, the head of the Russian Football Union, said "negotiations are underway" for the national team to play in the Central Asian championship in June and that "a negotiation process is underway with UEFA and FIFA on a phased return".

UEFA refrained from also banning Belarus this week despite pressure from EU lawmakers, though they did strip President Alexander Lukashenko's nation of the right to host the 2025 Women's Under-19 European Championship.

Belarusian clubs can still compete in European competitions, and the country's senior men's national team can continue to take part in Euro 2024 qualifying.

However, they are not out of the woods yet.

"We will study the situation and we will see what we decide at the next executive committee meeting on June 28," said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

- GYMNASTICS -

The sport has not yet lifted the ban on Russians and Belarusians, however federation president Morinari Watanabe indicated he is in favour of their re-admission.

"President Zelensky protects the Ukrainian people like family. I am protecting all gymnasts in the world like family," Watanabe said in a statement published on the federation's (FIG) website on Thursday.

"That's why I support Ukrainian gymnasts and why I defend the right of Russian and Belarusian gymnasts who are not involved in the war to participate in competitions."

The IOC recommendation will be discussed at FIG's executive board's meeting in Turkey on May 12-13.

- FORMULA ONE -

Theoretically, drivers from Russia and Belarus can compete as "neutral" drivers in Formula One. But the only Russian driver, Nikita Mazepin, was dropped by the Haas team shortly before the start of the 2022 season. F1 also dropped the Sochi Grand Prix from its 2022 schedule, and cancelled plans for annual races to be held in St. Petersburg starting this season.

- FENCING -

With its Olympic qualifying process about to start, the International Fencing Federation decided on March 10 to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part.

This decision has split the sport with over 300 present and former fencers writing a hard-hitting letter of protest to IOC President and 1976 Olympic team fencing gold medallist Thomas Bach and interim federation president Emmanuel Katsiadakis, accusing them of placing Russian interests above the interests of the Ukrainians.

World Cup events in Germany, France and Poland -- all Olympic qualifiers -- have been cancelled.

"The situation can't go on like this," European Fencing Confederation president Giorgio Scarso told AFP.

"It raises questions when federations which wrote the history of fencing like Germany, France and Poland, cancel competitions."

- ICE HOCKEY -

Russia and the Soviet Union have won the annual ice hockey world championship seven times but the International Ice Hockey Federation have banned them for a second straight year saying that "it is not yet safe to reincorporate the Russian and Belarusian teams".

- EQUESTRIAN -

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) have followed World Athletics in maintaining a blanket ban on Russians and Belarusians.

"It is the view of the FEI Board that at this stage neutrality cannot be defined and evaluated in a sufficiently satisfactory way," said FEI President Ingmar De Vos following a board meeting this week.

"All Russian and Belarusian athletes, horses and officials continue to be prohibited from participating in FEI events."

(T.Renner--BBZ)