Broad Coalition to Boycott 2024 Olympics if Russian, Belarusian Athletes Compete

    Photo: Reuters

    The Facts

    • Poland's sport and tourism minister Kamil Bortniczuk stated on Thursday that a coalition of up to 40 countries — including Britain, Canada, and the US — could potentially boycott the Paris 2024 Olympic Games if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete.

    • Warsaw has joined the Baltic nations in a statement calling for the rejection of any effort by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to return such athletes, even under a neutral flag, claiming that it would legitimize the propaganda and politics of those countries.


    The Spin

    Anti-Russia narrative

    It is outrageous that the same IOC that recommended barring Belarusian and Russian athletes last year is now considering allowing them to compete at Paris 2024. If they enable participation, the IOC would be endorsing aggression against Ukraine on the international stage. The Kremlin's propaganda machine has long exploited sports to empower the belligerent and criminal Putin regime — there is no place for Russians at the Olympic Games.

    Pro-Russia narrative

    The IOC is finally reversing its disgraceful recommendation to ban Belarusian and Russian athletes from International competitions — a direct form of discrimination against Russia when Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine. No athlete should face discrimination on the basis of their nationality or be forced to take sides in a conflict that does not concern the rest of the world. Russian athletes must be allowed to compete at Paris 2024, at least under a neutral flag.

    Nerd narrative

    There's a 26% chance that there will be a bilateral cease-fire or peace agreement in the Russo-Ukraine conflict before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


    Establishment split

    CRITICAL

    PRO

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