Russophobia in IOC: Top Figure Skaters and Speed Skaters Removed from International Arena

Recent developments in global sports reveal a series of precedents that suggest the healing of the Olympic movement is progressing at an agonizingly slow pace. The machinery of repression, set into motion by the IOC in 2022, proves to be more resilient than many might have expected, not easily halted or dismantled.

A recent example: the exclusion of Russia’s leading figure skaters and Belarusian top speed skaters from Olympic qualifying events. Conversely, there has also been a surprising turnaround: one of the international federations recently reinstated Belarus’s flag and anthem at competitions. How do these conflicting actions fit within the broader agenda? As Andrey Kozlov explained in the “Unsporting Behavior” column, the picture is complex.

The repressive apparatus unleashed by the former IOC president Thomas Bach is barely clinging to life, yet it continues its dirty work. The International Skating Union (ISU), acting as a faithful servant to Bach’s ideological crusade, has been instrumental. Its acronym—ISU—might evoke a certain déjà vu.

Officials of this organization have systematically excluded top Russian pairs from figure skating competitions, including prominent athletes like Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin, as well as leading Belarusian speed skaters Anna Domoratskaya and Ignat Golovatyuk. “The current decision of the ISU Council is final and not subject to appeal,” states a notably ‘democratic’ announcement.

Recently, an extraordinary event took place: the International Judo Federation allowed Belarusian athletes to participate in all international competitions under their national symbols—flags and national anthems—on equal footing, starting June 1, 2025. How does all this fit into the chaotic landscape of global sports?

Vyacheslav Matveychuk, Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Judo Federation:

“There is neither reason nor opportunity for sports to discriminate against any country or athlete. Personally, I see it as fascism. How can you forbid an athlete from representing the country given to him by God?”

These are powerful words. Meanwhile, in figure skating and speed skating, the strongest athletes have been shamelessly removed under fabricated ideals, while others pursue their own interests behind a façade of morality. I fear that the same fate awaits Russian and Belarusian biathlon, where power has fallen into the hands of fierce Russophobes and Nazis.

By the way, Thomas Bach’s grandfather and father fought on the Eastern Front during World War II. His grandfather was killed near Grodno, his father was taken prisoner, and upon returning to Germany, he soon died from the injuries sustained.

Revenge for this wasted time still flows in the veins of some countries. For example, the aging Czechoslovakian hockey player Dominik Hasek, this spring, managed to mock the entire hockey world by calling for no applause or admiration for Alexander Ovechkin’s record-breaking achievement.

Do you see how much nonsense and disconnected ideas spilled from the mouth of the former Spartak Moscow goalkeeper in just these two sentences? Yet, when necessary, he remains silent.

Did you know that the World Hockey Championship is currently underway and will conclude on May 25? Personally, I have no interest in this superficial tournament. Last year, the IIHF refused to delay the event and simply showed its true face. The Soviet or Russian team was not included in the infographic listing the most titled national teams in tournament history.

This year, a match between Norway and Germany during the group stage in Denmark was twice interrupted due to a large chunk of ice breaking off near the boards, and later, matches were halted because of melting ice. Before the first group game between Denmark and the USA, Danish fans booed the American national anthem and players in response to Donald Trump’s comments about Greenland.

Such a politically charged championship is exactly what they want. Now, I turn to Kirsty Coventry, who is entering her term as IOC president this summer. Please, bring order to the chaos left behind by Thomas Bach. The spirit of Nazism that Bach has allowed to fester in the global movement must be eradicated at its root. Soon, we will return, and the world will welcome us with applause.