Putin Costs Russian Athletes Their Chances To Compete

As Callista and I watched the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, we were struck by the absence of athletes representing Russia. Of course, a handful were there from Russia and Belarus as AIN (individual neutral athletes in English). This exception was created during the 2024 Paris Olympics. These athletes can compete as individuals — but not in team competitions (even if they have enough AIN athletes to field a full team). This clearly limits them to a few events. Further, they cannot display their countries’ flags. If they win their national anthems will not be played nor will their medals be counted in national standings.There were 13 Russians and seven Belorussians competing under these terms.The absence of Russian competitors really hit me during the skating exhibition of 43 athletes. The Japanese were there in abundance. There were Americans, a Kazakhstani gold medalist in a Kung Fu panda costume, and brilliant skaters from a dozen other countries. But there was only one Russian — Adeliia Petrosian skated in the exhibition under the teal AIN flag. I thought back to the glory days of Soviet and Russian competition, when they went all out for prestige. Russia always showed up with incredibly competitive winter sports programs. While Russia was fully engaged between 1994 and 2016, the Russians won 120 medals at the Winter Games. In fact, only America won more total medals than Russia — and Russia pushed us in virtually every sport.Russia’s absence was even more poignant on Sunday afternoon, when America defeated Canada in men’s hockey in an amazing overtime victory. It was the first American gold in men’s hockey since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980. Of course, that had involved a bunch of college competitors taking on the greatest hockey team in the world and beating it.As their now legendary coach Herb Brooks put it, “If we played ’em 10 times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with ’em. Tonight, we stay with ’em, and we shut them down.” Thinking back to that extraordinary moment when American morale desperately needed a win, and the Winter Olympics boosted the entire country, I could not help but reflect on what Vladimir Putin’s insanely aggressive violation of civilized norms has cost his country in prestige and personal morale.An entire generation of Russian athletes is being robbed of the chance to pursue Olympic glory by the selfish, insane policies of a dictator who thinks he can force his will on the world.Of course, lost athletic glory is nothing compared to the enormous loss of Ukrainian life. It is also dwarfed by the hundreds of thousands of dead and severely wounded Russians.But it is one more clear example of the nihilistic, ruthless dictatorship Mr. Putin runs — and his total unwillingness to care about anyone else, including his own people.It is the latest tragedy in Mr. Putin’s 12-year-long humanitarian disaster.

Putin Costs Russian Athletes Their Chances To Compete

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