Points of View: Russia Faces Revulsion for Years to Come

“Russian aggression now places them in a position of total revulsion,” Reedie says in observations to Around the Rings about the new crisis for Russian sport.

“The effect on world sport following the Russian invasion of Ukraine is currently easy to calculate. Almost all of sport has announced decisions which deny entry to sports competitions from all Russian and Belarusian athletes. In addition events in Russia have been banned,” he writes.

“The ongoing effect of these decisions is more difficult to estimate. This will clearly depend on the length of the hostilities. There is a confusion of news and information with regular comment on the strength of the Ukraine resistance. It seems very unlikely Russia will simply withdraw. There is the chance of a prolonged guerilla war between Russia and Ukraine forces and its scale will be determined by the amount of territory which becomes under Russian control,” Reedie says.

“The current sport restrictions are very likely to last, and may even appear to be permanent,” suggests Reedie about the long-term consequences for Russia and Belarus, both covered by the banishment issued a week ago by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Reedie says the war in Ukraine has now forced sports organizations like the IOC and international federations to come under the influence of political pressures.

“Over the last two weeks, sport decisions have followed, almost totally, political decisions. It seems clear any changes to sport restrictions will also involve intense political interest and involvement. The logical conclusion must then be sport will continue to be influenced, or even controlled by political opinion over the length of the Russian invasion of all, or part of Ukraine.

“This will present challenges to Olympic Sport as we hope to return to the days when we could claim a major degree of independence from political direction,” Reedie says.

He says keeping Russia and Belarus on the sidelines of sport could be an effective tactic for change. He says both nations may feel the pressure of public opinion when they are not part of upcoming sports events.

“The next allocated Olympic Games and other regional Olympic events have an important role to play,” he says.

Reedie, who led the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) through the Russian doping scandal, notes that Russia and its athletes are already under sanctions as a result of the massive doping scheme uncovered in 2014. Those sanctions are set to expire this year.

Reedie served as an IOC member from 1994 to 2021 and WADA President from 2014 to 2020. He was chair of the British Olympic Association and held the presidency of the International Badminton Federation. He competed at the elite level of the sport from 1962 to 1970.