Russia-Ukraine War: Effects on Gymn World

[irichluck21]

Even if the IOC says YES…France, the country could refuse to issue VISAs to RUS/BLR and that would be the end of that!

 

[MaryClare]

Yes, and indeed visa issues could prevent athletes from attending qualifying competitions anyway

 

[Rich]

its not just an eu visa. Couldnt they come through Hungary or something

 

[MaryClare]

The EU is not the same as Schengen. Hungary has been very supportive of Ukraine, I think they’d be pretty annoyed at what is being suggested here.

It is easy enough to travel from Russia to anywhere in Europe. (Although I had to wait 4 hours at the Belarus-Poland border, even though I have a EU passport also). It is easy to transit through Belgrade, to where there are several flights daily from Moscow.

The issue is getting a visa. If the country where the competition is being held will not issue visas, the athletes will not be able to travel there. However, it has been possible for Russian athletes to get visas, many have been training or medical treatment abroad for instance Dalaloyan in Italy and Gerasimova in Germany

 

[JDB]

Russia’s participating in the ALBA games: https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1135080/alba-games-russia-athletes

China and Russia are planning alternative games: https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1135067/putin-sport-china

 

[MaryClare]

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1135302/ioc-eb-meeting

IOC executive committee has recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be able to compete under an Olympic flag if they have not supported the war.

The decision regarding joining Asia is due tomorrow I believe

The tricky part will be defining what “supporting the war” is and how the IOC will prove/athletes disprove it.

 

[irichluck21]

IOC executive committee has recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be able to compete under an Olympic flag if they have not supported the war.

The decision regarding joining Asia is due tomorrow I believe

The tricky part will be defining what “supporting the war” is and how the IOC will prove/athletes disprove it.

Yup, just another way that the IOC can play both fences and pretend to be neutral.

Russian MAG better start scrubbing their social medias NOW. Amongst others.

 

[MaryClare]

Hmm. Dalaloyan and Ablyazin are military reservists, so I don’t think social media scrubbing would work in that instance.

Nagaorny’s status in that regard is less clear

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

If such a policy had any teeth at all to it, which it might very well not, I think they’d be fucked regardless of how much scrubbing they did.

I can’t imagine how this is all going to work though, especially not in team sports.

 

[MaryClare]

According to the article, there would not be any teams, only individuals

 

[J175]

Full recommendations from the IOC are here. Note that officially this decision doesn’t cover participation in Paris, that is left for a later date.
https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-i...ons-and-international-sports-event-organisers

Athletes who are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies cannot compete.

That would rule out a number of gymnasts if they enforce it.

If they have to be in Paris I think it’d be less disruptive to have them at Worlds this year for qualification. I think it’d be more unfair to the smaller nations if Russia were going for all their possible spots at the World Cups in 2024, or if they had to beat Listunova for the one spot at whichever continental championship.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I can see how that would be the simplest way, if they don’t want a full ban.

 

[Rich]

I wish we could start a boycott of corporations funding the olympics until Russians and Belarusians are not allowed to compete unless Putin ends the war and admits to war crimes and pays for the reconstruction of Ukraine. It is like allowing Hitler today to have his country compete. I feel so sorry for all the Ukrainians see the olympics disrespect everything that happened to them. I knew this would happen but I am very disappointed.

The group of countries, which included the United States, Britain, Germany and dozens of others, said the current I.O.C. policy of allowing athletes from the two countries was effectively worthless because “there are serious concerns about how feasible it is for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete on a neutral basis given they are directly funded and supported by their states.”

 

[MaryClare]

Any country who disagrees with the IOC decision has the ability to boycott the games. As the host, France can decide not to issue visas.

You absolutely can start a boycott of the corporations sponsoring the Olympics, there is an extensive list of them on the Paris 2024 website.

 

[Doug1233]

According to the article, there would not be any teams, only individuals

Will there be a team of “Olympic Athletes From Russia”?

 

[MaryClare]

I don’t think so. It says only individual athletes, but obviously this article is from an all sport perspective. It’s not clear how it would apply to team events within individual sports, as opposed to team sports.

 

[Doug1233]

So - no title defence in either MAG or WAG.

 

[MaryClare]

I doubt it. I don’t think it would be on the table for MAG anyway. A significant number are reservists or national guard. Will be the case for many of the male athletes across all sports, although not exclusively male. The dominance of the armed forces sports organisation in the training of athletes means that many have ties from a young age and serve nominally as reservists. Elena Zamolodchikova did throughout her career.

 

[irichluck21]

I don’t see any mention of Russia or Belarus @Doug1233 …if anything they would be considered “independent athletes” and compete under the Olympic flag and anthem.

Not sure any of them would actually compete if they had to strip everything Russia and Belarus.

But @MaryClare has more expertise here.

 

[MaryClare]

But @MaryClare has more expertise here.

Everywhere.

Hmm. I can only see one of 2 things happening. (This assuming that France agrees to grant visas).

1. Russian athletes compete (and behave) under the neutral banner. It’s a fantastic opportunity for Putin to tell us again how much the West wants to suppress us.
2. Putin goes along with it all until days before the Olympics, then calls a last minute boycott in dramatic fashion, possibly when Russian athletes are already in the Olympic village.