I fail to see how isolating Russian gymnasts and coaches from the wider world of international sport will strengthen calls for Vladimir Putin to stop his senseless war on Ukraine.
Now more than ever, Russia needs to leverage its connections with democratic nations. Ordinary citizens need to feel empowered to speak out and challenge Russia’s cruel war on Ukraine. President Putin is one man. It cannot be impossible to overthrow him and his entourage and hopefully to reinstate some stability and normality into the everyday lives of Russians - and, of course, Ukraine.
Maintaining friendships and vibrant cultural connections between our nations is one way for Russia to keep that sense of normal productivity, to keep open channels of communication that allow for the exchange of ideas. International sport has always, in the main, been an area of society where peace and friendship has flourished.
Commercial and financial sanctions serve a purpose in that they directly deprive President Putin’s troops of funding, and hurt Oligarchs whose money props up the Russian government and economy. The initial sanctions on sport seemed sensible, but over time I have begun to doubt the effectiveness of cultural and sporting sanctions. If we want Russia to get out of Ukraine and move back into a more modern, open minded space, haven’t we thrown out the baby with the bath water by excluding them?
Sport - in particular, gymnastics- is a face of Russia that we should support - as integrated, communicative, friendly and generous leaders. Russia, for so long a leading light in both MAG and WAG, has produced coaches and gymnasts who now support elite gymnastics programmes around the world. Their contributions have always been significantly more positive than negative.
Banning Russian gymnasts from international competition is counterproductive as it denies a model of good practice in international relations that Russia really needs now.
The enemy is war and violence of all kinds, everywhere, not young gymnasts and their coaches seeking to enjoy peaceful competition at its highest level.
I condemn the violence and cruelty shown by Russia in their unprovoked war against Ukraine. I want to see Russia withdraw from Ukraine. But we should reconsider the nature of our sanctions against Russian sport and culture and welcome back their athletes to the international arena. We should do so in a measured and incremental manner, so as to make clear our support of Ukraine and our utter rejection of violence.
Whatever measures we take, should be adopted to reject violence committed everywhere. Sport and the Olympics are supposed to be channels for international friendship and harmony - let’s find a way to make that real.
