Sports Federations Must Remain Firm in Banning Russian and Belarusian Athletes, Says Olympic Great Sebastian Coe
Sports federations have set precedents by banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from competition following the invasion of Ukraine and they must remain firm to keep them in place, Olympic great Sebastian Coe said Monday.
Coe, the president of World Athletics and a two-time Olympic champion runner from Britain, emphasized the importance of upholding the bans on Russian and Belarusian athletes during a video conference call ahead of the world indoor championships in Serbia.
“There’s not a single sports federation out there that naturally wants to exclude teams or individuals. That’s not something that we came into the sport for,” Coe said. “But I think we have to recognize that this is such a game changer. And, yes, it will set precedents.”
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, athletes and teams from Russia and Belarus have been barred from participating in numerous sports events, including the upcoming track championships, figure skating world championships, and soccer competitions. The bans have been met with challenges, particularly in soccer, where the Russian national team and club Spartak Moscow have been excluded from international competitions.
Coe stressed the importance of maintaining these bans, stating, “You cannot have aggressor nations, where you have so altered the landscape for the integrity of competition being untouched, while the actions of their governments have so influenced the integrity of sport elsewhere.”
The impact of these bans is widespread, with countries like Poland, the Czech Republic, and Sweden refusing to play against Russia in upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. Coe highlighted the need for consistency in enforcing these bans across all sports, emphasizing the importance of upholding the integrity of competition.
As sports federations navigate the complex landscape of geopolitical tensions and sporting integrity, Coe’s call to remain firm in banning Russian and Belarusian athletes serves as a reminder of the broader implications of these decisions on the world of sports.