Australian Open: Putin's propaganda in Melbourne - A shadow over the "Happy Slam"
The Australian Open shows how difficult the balancing act between sport and politics is. Still, the IOC is opening the door for Russian athletes to return.
by SID
last edit: Jan 27, 2023, 12:07 pm
In Melbourne, the war in Ukraine is far away - and yet so close. Vladimir Putin's long shadow hung over the "Happy Slam" in midsummer in Australia before the women's semifinals. Russian flags and battle cries, the likeness of the aggressor from the Kremlin and symbols of war - once again it was shown that sport and politics cannot be separated. Not even at the other end of the world.
The IOC, however, is clinging tighter than ever to its self-proclaimed "apolitical" mission to unite the world through peaceful competition - and is about to relax sanctions against athletes from Russia and Belarus. As planned, the route to reintegration leads via Asia. The IOC announced on Wednesday that an "overwhelming majority" was in favor of the return.
Djokovic father causes a stir
At the Australian Open, under the magnifying glass, you can see how Russian war propaganda can make its way despite the neutrality of the players. This is the prerequisite for the special path of tennis, and the IOC also relies on it in other Olympic sports. No flags, no anthems, no colors - and yet Russia is, but Putin and his war of aggression are part of the spectacle in Melbourne.
"You can't be naive and you have to face the fact that Russia massively exploits sport for domestic and foreign policy purposes," Maximilian Klein from the Athletes Germany Association told SID on Thursday. The neutrality of the athletes, which the IOC presented as a solution after the Russian doping scandal, was unprecedented; the time to talk about the Russian return is too early.
Srdjan Djokovic also caused a stir in Melbourne. The father of the Serbian record champion Novak Djokovic played an inglorious role in the pro-Putin demonstration. The tournament organizers were forced to make a statement, the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia and New Zealand intervened - the women's semi-finals were temporarily pushed into the background, and Viktoria Azarenka was annoyed.
Debates about Russian athletes
"Such incidents" have nothing to do with the players, said the Belarusian after her defeat against the Russian-born Jelena Rybakina, who now starts for Kazakhstan. Azarenka dodged questions about Russian flags and war symbols on the site, no matter what she said, it would be used against her, she claimed, visibly annoyed. discussion ended. At least in the short term.
Because: The debates about the sense and nonsense of the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes, about the effect of sanctions in sport and political influence will not only continue - they will be louder and more sharp-edged. According to organizations Ukrainian Athletes and Global Athlete, the move "sends a message to the world that the IOC condones Russia's brutal war and invasion of Ukraine."
Sports and politics
Sporting events like the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris would be used to "normalize, legitimize and distract from war." According to the IOC, however, "no athlete should be prevented from participating in competitions solely because of his passport". The NOK's from Asia and the US committee are now following suit.
There is resistance from Scandinavia and the Baltic States - in addition, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is energetically campaigning for the sanctions to be maintained. In December he asked IOC President Thomas Bach to be expelled, and on Tuesday he asked French President Emmanuel Macron. Selenskyj is not heard - and so Vladimir Putin remains part of the sports world, which would like to be apolitical.