Melnikova Among Russians Approved for Neutral Status, Viktoria Listunova, denied from Lauren Hopkins

[eanda]

I thought the Wimbledon change was in 2023? Whereas in 2022, the UK cancelled visas for the Belarussian basketball team in 2022, so it was very much a thing that was happening.

That's correct, no Russian or Belarussian players at Wimbledon 2022. I response, the ATP and WTA didn't award ranking points from Wimbledon that year.

If Russia is banned because they broke the Olympic truce, why are they also banned from non-Olympic sports that have nothing to do with the IOC or the Olympic Charter?

Governing federations would still have the right to make their own decisions regarding bans.

 

[BB12]

It annoys me that they choose some countries to ban and not others. There are other wars and massive human rights violations going on in the world with no sanctions against those countries. It just feels wrong.

This is why it doesn't bother me that Russian athletes will be there.

 

[RichardL]

This is why it doesn't bother me that Russian athletes will be there.

The converse is that it should bother you that other athletes have been there the whole time.

 

[KathySantoni]

It annoys me that they choose some countries to ban and not others. There are other wars and massive human rights violations going on in the world with no sanctions against those countries. It just feels wrong.

If they sanctioned countries involved in wars you would end up cutting a fourth of the field including several of the competitive delegations.

What would be of the U.S. WAG streak that started in the early 2000’s had the U.S. been barred from competing at FIG events for all the atrocities committed in Iraq and Afghanistan?

The plight of North Korean citizens is terrible however banning them from sports will not change their circumstances. I loved seeing the twins compete and the one getting gold in 2008, at least they improved their own lives and maybe that of their loved ones. I got to see them at several worlds and still think of them all these years later. I remember when someone on the gymternet, maybe even from this forum, outed the delegation for falsifying their birth certificates and got them banned for a quad and the one twin permanently banned. Not sure what I’m more upset about, the delegation not keeping their lies straight or some nosey busy body outing them knowing the gymnast would face consequences.

 

[Bob]

I agree I just think the Russians should be able to compete too.