New Rules in Olympics 2024: Russia and Ukraine Athlete conflicts

In Paris, during the Olympics, athletes from Russia and Ukraine are competing.

It’s not just about winning medals; people are worried the Games might not bring countries together like they’re supposed to.

Do you think the people in charge of the Olympics are doing the right thing about the conflict?

Paris Olympics: Facing Challenges and New Rules

In Paris, things are getting intense and it might even change the Olympics forever. We need to come together and figure this out.

Some people think Ukrainian athletes should win to show something, but I don’t think sports can fix everything. Let’s remember what’s going on with Russian athletes.

In December 2023, the International Olympic Committee set some rules for the Paris Games.

Russian athletes can only compete if they’re not in the military or supported the war.

Also, no Russian teams are allowed, and the athletes who do get in will have extra rules.

They can’t represent Russia officially, no flags or anthem. Even Russian officials and Olympic Committee members can’t come.

Belarus, Russia’s friend, is also not allowed. The IOC wants to be fair, not punishing athletes who didn’t do anything wrong.

Should Russia Face Olympic Ban Over Ukraine Crisis?

The Russian Federation should be banned from all international sports, including the Olympics, until they pull their troops out of Ukraine and restore its recognized borders.

For a while, athletes couldn’t even compete in events with Russians.

In early 2024, over 200 Ukrainian athletes wrote to French President Emmanuel Macron, asking for help to keep Russians and Belarusians out of the Olympics.

The Mayor of Paris supports this too. Yaroslava Mahuch, World high jump Champion, said they’ll do everything to stop Russians and Belarusians from going to Paris Olympics.

At least, Mahuch won’t have to compete against them because World Athletics, which governs track and field, still hasn’t let Russian athletes compete since the invasion.

IOC Takes a Stand: Stopping Russia’s Olympic Power

The IOC is trying to stop Russia from using the Olympics for their own gain, like they’ve done before.

In Russia, many athletes are involved in politics, but they often just follow orders.

Some people think the IOC’s decision is fair, but others think they’re trying to please everyone. Russia and Ukraine are both really angry about it.

Why Ban Russia? New Rule in Olyampics 2024 For Russian Athletes

Besides world wars, the IOC hasn’t banned entire nations from the Olympics due to conflict.

So, if a ban isn’t normal, why should Russia be banned?

• Some say Russia’s success in sports is used as propaganda by Putin’s government. The IOC tried to deal with this by banning certain symbols and restricting Russian participation.
• The IOC’s decision to make Russian athletes compete as neutrals and remove national symbols like flags and anthems doesn’t change the fact that they’re Russian.
• Winning gold still matters, even if there’s no anthem. Calling them neutral athletes doesn’t change much, especially when Russian media still supports the regime.
• Russian officials keep saying politics should stay out of sports, which is ironic considering how much they’ve used sports for propaganda.

But it’s doubtful if that’s been effective. I don’t think a bunch of Russian athletes going to the Olympics will really help the regime.

Honestly, I doubt anything will change Russia’s situation now, even after the death of Naali. Sports won’t change much

Ukrainian Athletes Demand Stronger Rules Amid Conflict

Many Ukrainians, including two gold medalists, aren’t happy with how governing bodies are handling Russian athletes.

They want stricter rules. Ukraine’s Olympic Committee president Vadim Gutzeit said that over 400 athletes have been killed in the conflict.

which is really close to home for the sports community. There have been incidents too, like when Russian gymnast Ivan Kulak showed support for the war by taping the Z symbol, and that’s just added to the tension.

It was a really tense moment when Ivan Kulak was surrounded by Ukrainian athletes showing support for the invasion.

It must have been awful for them, seeing someone support the invasion in front of them.

For Ukrainian athletes, competing against Russians is emotional. But they’re not the only ones who’ve had to deal with this at the Games.

Only a few countries have ever been completely banned.

Ukrainian Olga didn’t shake hands with Russian Anna

As the year ended, both countries talked about not going to the Games. Even if they do go, things could be tense in Paris.

We’ve seen boycotts before, like at the Fencing World Championships.

Ukrainian Olga didn’t shake hands with Russian Anna after their match. Instead, she offered to touch swords, but Anna said no.

It caused a big standoff for 45 minutes.

Because of the standoff, Olga was disqualified from the tournament, which messed up her chances for the Olympics.

People got really upset about it, and eventually, the Fencing Federation changed their minds and let her back in.

The IOC also stepped in, making sure Olga could still compete in the Games.

Now, everyone’s wondering if athletes will protest again at the Olympics and what the IOC will do about it. There have been protests in other sports too.

Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk didn’t shake hands with Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka

In tennis, during the 2023 French Open, Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk didn’t shake hands with Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka.

The crowd didn’t like it and booed Kostyuk, thinking it wasn’t fair play.

The IOC doesn’t want this kind of thing at the Olympics, especially in Paris. But with all the tension, it might not be easy.

Ukrainian officials and athletes have been clear about wanting Russia banned from sports altogether.

History of Exclusions at the Olympics

The Olympics have had exclusions before. After World War I, Germany and its allies weren’t invited to the 1920 Games in Antwerp, Belgium.

The same happened in Paris four years later. In 1948, former Axis Powers Germany, Japan, and Bulgaria were excluded from the London Olympics, just after World War II.

South Africa was banned for over 20 years because of apartheid. Zimbabwe was also banned in the ’70s.

Did Russia Break the Rules like Before or Not?.

Russia says the IOC is being unfair, but the IOC says Russia’s situation is different from others.

The invasion happened just four days after the 2022 Winter Olympics, breaking the Olympic truce for peace.

This was the third time in 14 years that such a breach occurred.

Russia’s breach of the truce occurred previously during the 2008 Summer Games after the conflict with Georgia and during the 2014 Winter Games due to the annexation of Crimea.

While some argue the timing is incidental, many believe it’s the actions themselves that matter.

The restrictions the IOC imposed on Russia set a precedent that other nations attacked may raise in the future, including Russia itself.

Despite its efforts to keep politics out, the IOC may find it increasingly difficult to do so.

Conclusions

At the Games, athletes from different countries sometimes have disagreements or don’t get along.

That’s because they might have had rivalries or problems before they got there. As long as the war continues.

When Ukrainian athletes compete against Russian athletes, the tension between their countries can affect how they feel and how they play.

This worries people about what might happen during the Olympics in Paris. Should Russians be allowed to compete at the Paris Olympics?