RUSSIA COULD BE BACK AT THE OLYMPICS AFTER YEARS IN THE COLD

Sport’s political fault lines have been thrown into sharp relief again after FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the International Olympic Committee signalled a potential return for Russia to major global sporting events, including the Olympic Games and top-level football competitions.

Infantino’s comments earlier this week, suggesting that Russia’s ban from international football competitions should be lifted, have reignited controversy.

He argued the four-year ban imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine “hasn’t achieved anything” and, rather than fostering peace, has “just created more frustration and hatred.”

He also said sports bodies shouldn’t ban countries for political reasons and that letting young Russian players compete across Europe could be beneficial.

The Kremlin was quick to welcome Infantino’s stance, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the time has come to revisit Russia’s rights in sport and restore its teams to international competition.

But in Kyiv, the reaction was sharply critical. Ukraine’s sports minister Matvii Bidnyi called the proposal “irresponsible” and “infantile,” saying it ignores the reality of an ongoing war that’s claimed athletes’ lives.

The country’s foreign minister blasted the idea on social media, highlighting the tragic toll on Ukrainian children and labelling those advocating for Russia’s return “moral degenerates.”

Against this backdrop, IOC president Kirsty Coventry has also dropped her clearest hint yet that Russia could compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Speaking at the IOC’s congress in Milan, she emphasised that sport should remain a neutral ground where all athletes can compete free from political exclusion.

Russia was suspended from Olympic participation following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and while its athletes can attend some events under a neutral flag this year, the country’s full participation in future Games has been a contentious issue.

Image credit: Hungarian Conservative