ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the use of sport sanctions against Russia as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. It documents the International Olympic Committee’s swift and strategic response to the invasion, motivated by the violation of the Olympic Truce, protective actions against the negative impact on competition integrity, and the prospect of Russian and Ukrainian athletes competing against each other. The position of Russian athletes on the sanctions and Russia’s invasion is discussed, as part of debating the responsibility and role of Russian athletes in the war. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the Olympic Movement’s belief in the autonomy of sport, and Thomas Bach’s concern about the influence of nation states over Olympic bodies.
