DUNCAN MACKAY EDITOR, INSIDETHEGAMES
O
n February 24, Vladimir Putin launched the Russian invasion of Ukraine to widespread condemnation from across
the world. The International Olympic Committee, which had just overseen the highly controversial Beijing 2022 Winter Games, was immediately plunged into its next major crisis. If Putin expected an easy ride from his friends in sport, who had previously been so quick to cosy up to him and have their pictures taken, then he was to be mistaken. A scathing statement from the IOC dropped into inboxes on the very same day the invasion began, which scolded Russia for breaking the Olympic Truce. On February 28, the IOC went a step further and recommended that athletes from Russia and Belarus be banned from international competitions. The situation could not have been more different from the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, when IOC President Thomas Bach and Putin were seen clinking champagne glasses. Russian athletes - it was made clear were no longer welcome at sport’s top table. International Federations quickly towed the IOC line and announced their own bans. In this latest issue of The insidethegames.biz Magazine, chief feature writer Mike Rowbottom takes us through how sport has punished Russia since the invasion began. Editorial intern Leticia Bila tells the story of how athletes - particularly those from Ukraine - have reacted to the conflict and how they have made their voices heard.
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There are, of course, two sides to every story and some Russian athletes have been impacted by the sanctions despite carrying no fault themselves. I have brought together the other side of the story, to find out what the view is in Moscow. War is nothing new for the Olympic Movement, with conflict often rearing its ugly head and spilling over into the organisation of sporting events. Historian Philip Barker takes a look at the times shelling and bombing has taken the focus away from the action on the field. If it was not for the invasion, Beijing 2022 would likely have featured more heavily in this magazine. The build-up to the Winter Olympics in China included numerous questions and debate about the host nation’s human rights record, and the Games themselves proved to be just as dramatic. It was insidethegames.biz which exclusively broke the major story to emerge from Beijing - that 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva had failed a drugs test. Our team in China were accosted by Russian journalists after our story was published, and we even received death threats online. But when it was confirmed that what we had written was true, the news quickly developed into one of the all-time major Olympic stories. Valieva, who was sensational in guiding her country to gold in the team event, was the heavy favourite in the women’s competition. After the Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed her to compete, it was tough to witness the youngster fall apart during her free skating, as she tumbled from first place to out of the medals. If this was not enough drama, Beijing 2022 was also the backdrop for the re-emergence of Peng Shaui, the Chinese tennis player who disappeared from public view to great concern after accusing a senior official of sexual assault. Senior reporter Michael Pavitt was one of our team in Beijing for the Games, where he
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experienced the “closed loop” system designed to combat the spread of COVID-19. In these pages he tells us about his experience. Valieva’s story brought the issue of age limits in sport to the fore, particularly in figure skating. As senior reporter Geoff Berkeley explains, while the athletes on the ice are often still children, a number of officials running the sport are in their senior years. We will also be using this magazine to preview two major events on the 2022 calendar. Mike Rowbottom looks ahead to the European Championships in Munich - the second instalment of the unique multi-sport event. Reporter Michael Houston sets the scene for the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, a destination which has strong links to track and field and sports giant Nike, and is no stranger to controversy. If you enjoy this magazine and our yearround coverage of the Olympic Movement, I would like to invite you to make a contribution to support our journalism at www.insidethegames.biz/contribute. Every donation, however big or small, will help maintain and improve our work across the world in the years ahead. We believe that Olympic news, such as our Valieva exclusive, should remain in the public sphere and be free of charge to read. Our team has recently received three nominations for the 2021 International Sports Press Association Awards, for Pavitt, Dan Palmer and Liam Morgan, and your support would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy the magazine.
Duncan Mackay Editor
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