As a extra palatable strategy, Western leaders might ban athletes from Russia and Belarus from competing in worldwide athletic competitions in Western Europe within the run-up to the video games. This may doubtless make it inconceivable for any athletes from these nations to qualify for spots in Paris.
As historian Heather Dichter has proven, journey bans have a protracted historical past within the Olympics.
Within the Nineteen Sixties, there was a NATO-wide ban on East German athletes travelling to compete in occasions in Western European nations. This successfully barred them from participation in a number of main sporting competitions and from qualifying for the Olympics.
Some Western leaders have already tried to make use of this technique towards Russian and Belarussian athletes. Polish President Andrzej Duda refused to challenge visas to Russian and Belarussian fencers for a qualification competitors in June. The Worldwide Fencing Federation moved the matches to Bulgaria the place the impartial athletes might compete.
As a extra drastic step, French officers might merely ban all Russian and Belarussian athletes from travelling to Paris in the course of the Olympics. The committee would doubtless don’t have any recourse at this late date.
It might align with the strategy of another EU member nations that ban Russian tourism and journey.
Nonetheless, the French Nationwide Olympic Committee would doubtless oppose such a transfer. They may fear that it threatens the viability of their doubtless future 2030 Winter Olympic Video games.
At a time when a lot worldwide consideration has turned to the Israel-Hamas conflict, will leaders, nevertheless annoyed, do something in response?
Solely time will inform, however one factor’s for certain: No matter occurs will probably be rigorously calculated to account for the huge array of geopolitical transferring components.
Keith Rathbone is Senior Lecturer in Fashionable European Historical past and Sports activities Historical past at Macquarie College. This commentary first appeared on The Dialog.
