Where’s World Athletics on Russia? - update WA bans Russian and Belarussian athletes

Russians haven't competed as Russia for years in track.

I think they have to even move out of Russia during the season to be available for frequent drug testing.

They compete as an unauthorized athlete or something.

Track is way ahead of the rest of the sports world.

Look at some Diamond League results to see what they're called. There's a white flag with a symbol on it. That ROC crap is for the Olympics only.

russia is already not competing. But yes all athletes of countries currently invading or occupying another country after an invasion should be banned.

Interesting as I read this wrong the first time and put up a correction. I thought this meant they were out of all WA events including the Diamond League. But they are only banned from World Athletic Series Events which really are the global championships. The need a new name for these things:)

Tennis hasn't banned individual players and soccer isn't kicking individual players off teams so this is consistent with what other sporting federations are doing.

The ancient Olympic Games were held during a sacred period of peace. Prior to the competition, spondorophoroi (messengers) ran to various warring Greek city-states announced the dates and called for hostilities to cease. Soldiers and citizens were allowed to safely travel to attend the events. When the Olympics were revived in 1896 under the direction of Pierre de Coubertin, they were expected to have the same spirt of sportsmanship as the Greeks intended.

Beginning with the 1936 Games in Berlin, nationalism began to enter the gala. That year, discussions were held whether the Games should continue and who should attend. Fortunately, no action was taken and events at those Games proved that no race was superior to others. Action (boycott) was taken in 1956, 1964, 1976, 1980, 1984, and 1988. The various political posturing has only served to weaken the spirit of the Games at the expense of competitors.

Admittedly, not all international competition is under the Olympic and Paralympic umbrella. No qualifying athlete should be barred from athletics, futbol, tennis, or any other international sporting event simply because of the nation in which their passport was issued. Even during the Cold War period of the 1960s with raging conflict in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, the US and USSR hosted each other in sporting events. Banning national sport delegations, NGBs, leagues, teams, and individuals for continuous state-sponsored doping programs or other non-compliance issues is a different discussion. Once disinvited, no athlete, coach, or staff member with an association to those groups should be allowed to participate in any way.

Why don't they go all the way and actually ban them from the Diamond League?

They're punishing the country, not individual young Russians who mostly want nothing to do with it

Kick out the individuals as well! No prize money, no contracts, no taxes going back to Mother Russia. If you wish to renounce Russian citizenship, WA will consider allowing you to compete and earn a living. Sport is a privilege and should be reserved for peaceful nations and their citizens.

(Yes. I would even wish this to apply to Americans if we start a war of aggression. It is long past time for this crap to stop!)

UCI has kicked out Russia, Belarus, and any teams registered in those two nations. They are also currently prohibited from sending teams to world championships. Individual riders signed to teams registered in other countries can still compete however, they may not wear their Russia or Belarus national champion kits or display any national symbols.

Affected Athletes aren't shaping international policy in any way.

Neither will their absence. Olympic boycotts in 1980 and 1984 made that clear.

Sports and most everything else are increasingly being co-opted and weaponized as political tools.

Which is unfortunate as Sports should bring countries and people together, not divide them.

....and English Football hasn't kicked Chelsea out of EPL , just handed over management to a trust, ditto neither has French football with AC monaco, ditto NY Jets

Chelsea owner *Israeli-Russian Abramowitz scrambling to whitewash, pretending to help with negotiations

*asking poster Karen Rodgers for permission to say that ;-)

The powers that be are lining up to exempt Abramowitz from any sanctions

Abramovich has citzenship in three countries, Russia, Portugal, and Israel.

He is still a Russian Oligarch

So far Abromovich is escaping sanction.

Which may not be unreasonable as he probably has absolutely nothing at all to do with the Ukraine situation. His crime is being rich and born Russian.

With a million-plus citizens of Ukrainian ancestry, Canada's federal government has "gone nuclear" in lashing out in fury against Russia.

Nearly every punitive option available has been exercised while they scramble for yet more, even actions severely punishing its own economy.

But while Abromovich has extensive holdings in Canada, it's hands-off.