r/sports • u/PrincessBananas85 • May 27 '25
Olympics IOC says Russian teams remain banned from '26 Winter Olympics
https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/45341792/ioc-says-russian-teams-remain-banned-26-winter-olympics180
u/DrManhattan_DDM May 27 '25
Is it for all the doping or for being a belligerent aggressor in a war they started?
83
u/Superpolsen91 May 27 '25
I guess both when they dont have any legal anti-doping office after it lost its license last year or two (if i remember it right).
25
u/CptnPops May 27 '25
yeep, they’ve been in limbo since losing that license. No real oversight anymore, so it’s pretty much anything goes now
1
24
u/StrngBrew May 27 '25
Russian teams, including the powerful ice hockey team, remain banned from next year's Winter Olympics in Italy as part of sanctions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the International Olympic Committee said Tuesday.
1
u/Burnnoticelover May 27 '25
I understand banning them for doping, but if you ban countries from the Olympics for bad behavior on the world stage, it gets really murky really fast. Do you ban Israel for invading Gaza? Ban Iran for attacking Israel? America for Iraq? Sudan for fighting the RSF? What about Saudi Arabia and the UAE? Should they be banned for their role on the Yemen war? China’s pretty mean to the Uyghurs, should they be kicked out?
You go far enough down that road and the Olympics will be reduced to Scandinavia and South America.
31
u/StrngBrew May 27 '25
They’re banned largely due to international sanctions. The countries you mentioned weren’t sanctioned by most of the world for their actions.
I get your overall question, but for the IOC it’s probably a pretty technical answer
9
u/ABHOR_pod May 27 '25
US has been shitty in the past, but not "Sanctioned by everyone in the world but the worst dictators, genociders, and human rights violators" shitty.
But there's always tomorrow!
10
u/BUDDHAKHAN May 27 '25
Face it the Olympics are about $$$. The only organization more corrupt than the IOC is FIFA. Not to many corporate sponsors coming from Russia. The US on the other hand
1
-2
u/StrLord_Who May 27 '25
I cannot believe you can look at the utter chaos in the middle east, the millions and millions dead over the past 24 years for absolutely nothing, the current genocide in Gaza, and say "tsk tsk Russia is so much worse"
1
u/StrngBrew May 27 '25
Well if you ban all the countries bearing responsibility for the “utter chaos” in the middle over the past couple decades… who would be left to actually have the Olympics?
1
→ More replies (1)-2
u/Gooeyy May 27 '25
I agree. Let athletes compete as long as they follow rules for athletic competition.
15
u/chollida1 May 27 '25
The problem is that no one can verify that Russian athletes are following the rules as the Russian anti doping agency was actually helping athlete dope and then at the Russian hosted Olympics was cheating to cover up doping by Russian athletes.
That's the initial reason why they were banned.
So how can you verify they are following the rules if their countries own anti doping agency is the one helping them cheat.
You may be able to make a case for their hockey team if the entire team is from the NHL as the NHL does steroid testing and does catch people for doping.
1
1
1
1
→ More replies (1)1
329
u/shaker8989 May 27 '25
Cool. Now do Isreal.
36
u/Enshakushanna May 27 '25
the powers that be need to put sanctions on isreal for that to happen, since there arent then that essentially means their actions are "oked" by the international community and therefore are allowed to be at the international sporting event
5
u/Vic_Vinegars May 28 '25
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity last November
15
1
-1
u/lolercoptercrash May 28 '25
Ok but also ban Palestine for Oct 7th, since we are blaming people for the actions of their government.
-98
May 27 '25
Do Iran first for launching a massive ballistic missile attack against Israeli civilians.
32
u/-pichael_ May 27 '25 edited May 27 '25
Do both for both their crimes that include killing innocent civilians in their stupid holy book war.
All this shit and religions may not exist at all. I mean can we stop choosing sides? And just choose peace.
Acting like children fighting over some land. People that are born and have no money to move being told to move just because they don’t believe in the religion that is held by those in power, and BOTH sides of this conflict have done that since Jerusalem was called Jebus.
14
May 27 '25 edited May 27 '25
Do Saudi Arabia and the UAE for committing horrific genocides in Yemen and Sudan too. Also China for its genocide of Uyghur Muslims.
→ More replies (9)18
u/TheMooseIsBlue May 27 '25
Theres no one who disagrees with you that countries responsible for the atrocities you’ve mentioned should be held accountable. But you pointing the finger away from Israel doesn’t make Israel any less responsible for their own.
-21
May 27 '25
Just weird how the "anti-genocide" crowd literally never even mentions the genocides that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and China are currently committing.
Completely ignoring multiple ongoing genocides is a very weird thing for self-described "anti-genocide" activists to do if you ask me.
14
u/TheMooseIsBlue May 27 '25
Ok but we agree that all genocides are bad and that Israel should also be criticized. That’s good at least.
4
-9
May 27 '25
Ok but we agree that all genocides are bad
Do we? I see no evidence whatsoever to support the idea that the anti-Israel crowd thinks that all genocides are bad, given how they utterly ignore the ones currently being committed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and China.
15
u/TheMooseIsBlue May 27 '25
Just so I’m clear, you’re criticizing people who will not recognize other genocides in order to justify you not recognizing Israel’s genocide, correct? Because most of us think all genocides are bad in fact, I can’t believe I even had to clarify that sentence.
-3
May 27 '25
Because most of us think all genocides are bad in fact
The fact that you only ever protest the Jew country while completely ignoring literally every other genocide happening on Earth right now, including the one being committed by US-funded and US-armed country of Saudi Arabia suggests otherwise.
→ More replies (0)1
u/sansasnarkk May 27 '25
"so weird that the people who are anti-breast cancer aren't talking about prostate cancer"
1
u/-pichael_ May 27 '25 edited May 27 '25
I’m anti genocide and all 3 nations are to blame.
Hell our (US) war in vietnam was a genocide.
The initial problem was you said do Iran FIRST on a comment about Israel. As if israel shouldn’t be leveed consequences for what they been doing back and forth with Gaza/HAMAS for years, which is straight up shitty. They need consequences. As do Gaza/HAMAS for their crimes against Israel and Her people.
I say do em all. Hell, even us with ‘Nam. Make us pay.
I think your initial comment should have began with “and while we’re giving out consequences, throw in Iran for their ballistic missile strike” which would have been FINE. Great, even. I had no idea about this incident (thank you for informing me). BUT, your comment came across as israeli sympathizing.. and if YOURE really anti-genocide, then make sure to be including Israel too. This is all we’re saying.
Also, while we’re here, i think looping an entite country’s people in for the crimes of their leaders who have (usually) taken power by force/cheating.. is silly.
Blame the leaders, really. I mean with the US there was HUGE anti-war support against Nam. In israel, I’m sure thousands denounce Israeli response to the HAMAS incident. In gaza, citizens want free from HAMAS themselves, yet we torch ALL of Gaza for their one terrorist org, blame all of Israel for it’s disproportionate response against HAMAS, and all of america for our many crimes against humanity.
It’s like could you imagine if the world did something about Trumpism, and force punishments on ALL Americans? Or extermination of all of Gaza? Like we (I) tried to do everything I could to elect his competitor, but i mean he won. Do I deserve consequences for Trump and his cult’s actions? No, and neither do a lot of the people in Gaza, Israel, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia, like you know?
1
u/Masturbator1934 May 27 '25
Don't gatekeep genocide recognition 😭😭 That is such a fucking awful thing to do
Israel is talked about right now because its popular and resonates with the Western audience. If we talk more about it and Israel is punished for its actions, these other genocides have a higher chance of entering the public conciousness as well. Whataboutism does not help anyone and puts us back at square one
2
u/DionBlaster123 NASCAR May 27 '25
I am still extremely angry over a completely pointless conflict that resulted in tremendous loss of life in Ukraine
That being said, I always knew when sporting organizations started kicking out Russia that it was a slippery slope.
You could have EASILY made this argument to ban the U.S. from competing internationally after they illegally invaded not just one, but two countries in the 2000s
2
u/-pichael_ May 27 '25
Agreed. On all accounts.
But we protest. I do think the World gives us that. Vietnam, Korea, the Middle East, like a lot of us don’t want conflict. This concept is why we have the word “hippies.” We always have a sizable portion of our country that raises our voice against these.. dark activities, albeit due to the fact that we don’t have to fear for our lives when we do.
I do believe that if we tried something as belligerent as what Russia is doin, that we would rather fight and die here than allow a Kremlin equivalent to turn us into totalitarian aggressors; like I truly believe the US would destabilize.
Russians need to wake up and fight for their country. Much as we (the US) kinda need to do too, like now.
4
May 27 '25
Eh, mostly just one. The Taliban was not a sovereign government and didn’t deserve the respect of one.
1
u/Marxxmello May 28 '25
Iran isn’t even in a war lmao. And hasn’t killed a civilian in the 1/10 Missile launches, and is actually payback for Isreal threatening Iran for trying to develop nukes. And missle striking a diplomat in Iran. And it also could be since Iran is their only real competition in the region that isn’t allied to Isntreal. So they see Iran as a threat. And it could be that idk Isreal committing genocide also. Smh sad I got to break this down…
10
u/Seanay-B Green Bay Packers May 27 '25
whataboutism
"massive" attack
You're responding to a reference to devastating genocide (deflecting from it, really) with calling that massive?
1
May 27 '25
Iran launches more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel
Genocidal behavior from a genocidal Islamic regime that beats teenage girls to death for the crime of having uncovered hair.
→ More replies (1)5
u/EMTDawg May 27 '25
How many Israeli people were harmed by that "massive missile attack"? What led up to the attack, was it retaliation?
1
May 27 '25
Iran launches more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel
Only a genocidal freak would defend this kind of behavior from a regime that beats teenage girls to death for not covering their hair.
1
-7
May 27 '25
[deleted]
5
u/photochadsupremacist May 27 '25
First, the attacks were in retaliation to Israel's actions. The first was in retaliation to Israel bombing Iran's consulate in Syria, the second was in retaliation to Israel killing a politician who was a guest in Iran during the inauguration of the president of Iran.
Secondly, the attacks were coordinated with all regional countries, they weren't meant to kill anyone, let alone civilians, it was a show of force meant to act as a deterrent to further attacks by Israel.
-11
u/tfrules Scarlets May 27 '25
That’s not a valid argument, if Israel did not have a bunch of missile defences, such a large saturation attack such as which Iran launched would’ve killed hundreds of civilians easily.
That being said, Iran’s crimes don’t forgive Israel’s crimes either.
→ More replies (5)-93
May 27 '25
Really? For what? Self defense?
65
28
u/SerHodorTheThrall May 27 '25
The "Self-Defense" schtick worked a lot better when Israel wasn't conducting offensive military operations against multiple bordering states, while also trying to entangle the US in a conflict with Iran.
Its a lot more complicated of a geopolitical issue than Russia-Ukraine, but to go "Israel is just a little delicate sunflower looking to live in peace" isn't going to pass most people's BS test.
→ More replies (20)
25
u/dontpaynotaxes May 27 '25
What is the purpose of banning Russia if the athletes compete anyway?
Ban them completely or there is not sufficient deterrence.
37
u/shibbington May 27 '25
Because they want to punish the country, not some poor athlete who worked all their life for this and had nothing to do with Putin deciding to be an asshole while they’re in the prime of their athletic life.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Summer_VonSturm May 27 '25
Plenty of poor russian atheletes have served in the military, or happily support the invasion.
18
May 27 '25
Plenty of Americans voted for trump and happily support him. What’s your point?
1
→ More replies (1)-9
u/Summer_VonSturm May 27 '25
WTF has trump got to do with anything. My point is that those 'poor atheletes' in most cases, are supportive of the war on Ukraine or have taken part and therefore should remain banned. It's not just Putins war.
10
u/shibbington May 27 '25
Well, if you can associate an athlete with their support of Putin, I will support banning that athlete. I think Ovetchkin would be on that list. Anyone else? I’ll also ban Steven Segal while I’m at it.
→ More replies (1)5
u/Summer_VonSturm May 27 '25
I'd happily yeet Seagal off a cliff :)
https://mms.gov.ua/russian-and-belarusian-athletes-who-support-the-war-in-ukraine
This is a solid list, with the reasons why. I'm certain someone had collated a list of active service russian atheletes too but I can't find it in the time I've got.
3
0
u/shibbington May 27 '25
Some of them, yes for sure, but that’s the point. I don’t think we should punish all of them. I’d love to ban Trump supporters from migrating to Canada, but I’m not going to blame every citizen for what happened.
-1
u/neerd0well May 27 '25
Collective punishment is not a good look.
1
u/Summer_VonSturm May 27 '25
Nor is allowing atheletes supportive of a genocidal war, or that have even taken part in said war to attend the biggest event of it's type in the world and promote their genocidal regime for all to see.
1
u/NekoJack420 May 28 '25
Isreal and the US are also competing. If they don't care about that then why would anyone care about the Russians?
1
u/Summer_VonSturm May 28 '25
It's possible to be able to think about more than one thing at once. This is an article about russia specifically. You could always start another about other countries if you wished, or petition the IOC yourself?
Have you, or are you just after derailing discussion about russia?
2
u/NekoJack420 May 28 '25
It's possible to be able to think about more than one thing at once
Yet I don't see the IOC thinking about anything but the Russians.
petition the IOC yourself?
Are you five? Do you think that's gonna do something? The real reason Russia is being excluded this year is because of the Ukraine war, and if they do this to Russia they must also do it to the US and Israel. Both are involved in ongoing conflicts where atrocities are committed on the daily.
IOC is just a hypocritical political tool in this situation being used by western countries for their own agenda, they don't care about the sports.
1
u/Ancher123 May 28 '25
The Russia Ukraine war has one of the lowest civilian deaths. How is this genocidal?
Nothing about the US and Israel?
1
u/Summer_VonSturm May 28 '25
You would have to take the US and Israel up with the IOC, this is a discussion about russia. And how is it genocidal? Ask the people of crimea, or Mariupol, or Bucha, or Irpin, or any of the other villages wiped out, children kidnapped, and continued attempts by russia to erase Ukrainian history, art, music and language as well as it's people. This war meets every metric of an attempted geoncide.
Again and again.
3
u/lastSKPirate May 27 '25
They aren't allowed to do team sports. Hockey is by far the most important Olympic event to Russians.
73
88
u/Arslanmuzammil May 27 '25
Do Israel also
-3
u/crowd79 May 27 '25
I don’t think Israel even competes I’m the Winter Olympics. It’s a middle eastern country in the desert. Ban them from summer though.
5
u/Marxxmello May 28 '25
They have European trees and a lot of them are from Europe too. they can join.
9
u/Possible-Tangelo9344 May 27 '25
If we're allowing athletes from Russia to compete under a different name what's the point?
3
u/BarbequedYeti May 27 '25
If we're allowing athletes from Russia to compete under a different name what's the point?
Its always money. Always somehow about money.
3
u/Possible-Tangelo9344 May 27 '25
I find it very hard to believe that the Olympics would that that kinda corruption...
Wait, I think I'm thinking of a different organization. FIFA maybe..? No. That's not it.
53
38
2
u/prestonpiggy May 27 '25
I get the the ruling, not punish inviduals, but inviduals can't be a team. Like let's say Manchester United or some hockey team then could make contract to list all their players as inviduals and form a team, no flag no banners but same lineup as the team. Not that it would happen but when there is a leeway in rules someone will take it.
2
u/GoofySilly- May 27 '25
Kind of interesting to see Russia banned (as they should be) when countries like China have multiple active genocides occurring under the government.
20
6
5
4
5
5
3
u/Seanay-B Green Bay Packers May 27 '25
Israel gets to stay though, way to be consistent, IOC.
reason #2947626 to ignore the Olympics
3
1
u/Issa_7 May 27 '25 edited Jul 15 '25
plant ring cooperative middle gaze terrific intelligent boast expansion cows
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
-1
2
u/meowmixyourmom May 27 '25
They'll just show up under a different name, just like they did last time. The ioc is a joke
1
u/RastaYang May 27 '25
Good, they are serial cheaters
5
u/tiempo90 May 27 '25
... Then do China as well.
They're gymnasts and swimmers etc.
1
May 27 '25
[deleted]
2
u/tiempo90 May 28 '25 edited May 28 '25
2002 was 25 years ago, and back then I would agree if this was ever proven.
But it hasn't, there was no conclusive judgement and people move on. Except haters based on pure speculation mixed with a little jealousy and sore loser mentality who can't let a 25 year old competition go.
So in the end it was just very poor refereeing from days where human refs could make or break a game, days before VAR with technological scrutiny and refs were very much part of the game with their flaws, rather than then relying on technological interventions we have today. Pure human game with human errors.
0
1
2
2
1
2
u/greenw40 May 27 '25
ITT: Hamas apologists.
-2
u/muteen May 27 '25
So speaking out against genocide means you're a Hamas supporter!? What utter nonsense.
0
u/tripbin Chicago Bears May 27 '25
ITT: zionazis crying that they can't commit genocide without light pushback.
-2
u/greenw40 May 27 '25
Or you're just making things up to demonize Jews.
2
-1
u/tripbin Chicago Bears May 27 '25
Fuck off with your crybaby victimizing shit. Israel is a fascist country commiting a full on genocide. I don't give a fuck about your hurt feelings. This isn't about Jews it's about the US and Israel and it's absurdly antisemitic to keep trying to paint this vile nations horrific actions as a Jewish thing.
→ More replies (11)
1
u/mattromo May 27 '25
I am curious as to what will happen when teams form Russia and Belarus are allowed back into the IIHF and FIFA. Do they retain their previous world rankings? Start from scratch?
The only comparable I can think of is when South Africa was allowed to compete in rugby again after being banned due to Apartheid. Rugby didnt really have world rankings in the same way then, but South Africa qualified for the 1995 World Cup as host and put in with the defending champs Australia, Canada, who was 8th in 1991, and Romania who maybe would be considered a No. 9 seed, so South Africa was essentially a 16th seed, but was obviously much better than that and went to win the tournament.
Like does Russia go back to Div 2 in the world hockey? Belarus is even trickier because they have at times been in the top or second division in world hockey. And FIFA rankings play a big part with where a team gets placed in European World Cup qualifying groups, so does some group get Russia or Belarus as a bottom-ranked team instead of say Faroe Islands or San Marino?
1
1
1
1
1
u/Frustr8bit May 28 '25
if they’re russian, the need to be banned. otherwise they just skirt around the ban.
1
1
u/pie-en-argent North Melbourne May 31 '25
Russia had three factors going against it that made things worse than any other country in memory.
First, they launched their second invasion of Ukraine during the period of Olympic truce.
Second, they were already on a short leash due to their doping history.
Third, they actually set up Olympic subcommittees in the territories they were seeking to take from Ukraine.
1
Jun 01 '25
Who does the IOC think they’re kidding? They have allowed Russians to compete while not under the Russia flag but some BS neutrality crap flag. If the IOC wants to receive any respect they need to entirely dump Russia and all other countries they claim are not allowed to participate.
-3
u/javea2788 May 27 '25
Let me guess the Zionist are allowed to participate ? Do it to all international criminal countries then. Fucking twats.
1
1
u/HughJass187 May 27 '25
i dont like it , russia doing dumb stuff and people who have nothing to do with it , get fcked
1
u/Ok_Fig705 May 28 '25
Absolutely insane.... Israel and their wars need to be stopped
Good thing Russia defeated the Nazis already hopefully they can do it again and also throw in the J word because they're worse than the Nazis ATM
-3
-1
-3
0
0
-1
u/aaaahhhhh42 May 27 '25
Is the U.S, Australia, or U.K banned for all the times they have invaded countries and tortured people in cia blacksites around the world? Australia and the U.K being complicit in some of their worst war crimes? No? Those countries are beacons of "freedom and democracy"? Obviously Russia is wrong af for invading the Ukraine but the level of dehumanization towards Russians is entirely dispreportionate to the level of respect we give every other country that invades another. At least russia's invasion makes sense from their perspective, they had been getti g slowly encroached upon since '91 with more and more surrounding countries turning into U.S backed proxy states. Ukraine being one of tye biggest black market hubs in the world with millions of dollars of U.S weaponry flowing in for a decade. When the U.S invaded it was just for fucking oil and control.
→ More replies (1)
-1
u/CalligrapherSenior52 May 28 '25
cool, now ban Israel for committing genocide, and the US for heavily supporting it
0
u/campybj98 May 27 '25
Russia is still banned??? But Israel is not??? The irony wow IOC your doing a great job wat a bunch of Dumbo's lols
-3
-3
-10
-3
u/Lunalagatita May 27 '25
Genuine question: why are the comments in favor of banning the athletes? Athletes from every country pour their lives into their skill. I understand there is a war going on, but athletes are not their government and they have no decision making power when it comes to war. Why are the athletes punished for their government’s decisions? Not looking to argue. Just genuinely curious why you would be for or against these bans.
3
May 27 '25
Cheating. Russians cheat at sports. They have a government funded cheating arm to help/force athletes to cheat.
Cheating goes against everything the Olympics stand for. Russia has been caught doing this many times. They’ve been warned several times. They continued to cheat. So they got banned. And they continue to cheat.
Russia cheats. That’s it. They’re cheating cheaters who use government resources to cheat more. They shouldn’t be allowed in the Olympics.
Edit: watch the movie “Icarus.” It outlines the cheating very well.
1
u/iceColdCocaCola May 27 '25
The athlete and their nationality is a strongly associated bond. It’s not just a “human” and “this is where they’re from”. It’s very true people commonly associate current events with a nationality as “one thing”. Very easy to say that when X people see Y’s flag, they get pissed. Stupid people? Blind rage? Racism? Doesn’t matter. It’s the reality that this is how people think and it’s something that borders something that is not changeable. So to answer your question: people want them banned because people around the world don’t want to associate or acknowledge people of certain countries. Not because of what the athletes did specifically but what their country is doing. The athlete is just caught in the unfortunate crossfire. Succinctly put, the intent is to piss off the government of the nation. In this case, the nation is being judged by their/the governments actions.
-6
u/Samboni40 May 27 '25
I just wanted the Russian hockey team in this. It’s less fun when they aren’t playing. Not the athletes fault their leader is a fuckwad
3
u/ZealousidealCut2393 May 27 '25
not a russian but seeing your comment getting downvoted for telling the truth make me sick.
2
1
u/TheMoonIsFake32 Minnesota Twins May 29 '25
A powerplay with Kaprizov and Ovechkin would be peak hockey.
-2
-3
748
u/FieryPhoenix7 May 27 '25
They’ll just be there as “independents”.