Something strange is happening in Russian sport

While Ukraine continues to fight a brutal war for survival, Russian athletes have been allowed to compete again in international sport. The decision has outraged many around the world and led to protests and boycotts of the opening ceremony by some countries.

In this short film I speak with Vladyslav Heraskevych, the Ukrainian skeleton racer who was disqualified from the Winter Olympics after refusing to remove a helmet honouring Ukrainian athletes killed during Russia’s full-scale invasion. The helmet featured the faces of more than twenty athletes and coaches who lost their lives in the war. The IOC ruled it violated Olympic rules against political statements during competition. 

For Heraskevych, it wasn’t politics. It was remembrance.

His decision to wear the helmet anyway meant losing the chance to compete for an Olympic medal, but he said honouring those who had died was more important.

At the start of this film I also look at something deeper. History shows that authoritarian regimes have often used sport to sanitise their image and project strength to the world. From the Berlin Olympics in 1936 to modern geopolitical battles around international competitions, sport has never been as apolitical as it claims to be.

So today, as the Paralympics begin, I wanted to ask one simple question:

What does this moment mean for athletes who come from a country at war?

I hope you find this conversation interesting, please let me know what you think!

And if you’d like to help me fund my reporting, my links are here 🫡❤️🇺🇦