“Traitors” when they start. “Ours” when they win medals. Olympic split personality in Russia and Belarus
Photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
There are no Russian and Belarusian teams at the Paris Games, but Russian and Belarusian athletes have already won several medals. Some under a neutral flag, others in the colors of the countries to which they moved, escaping the sanctions imposed on athletes from both countries after their countries attacked Ukraine. Russia, which likes to use sports for propaganda purposes, is forced to rejoice in their successes – writes Michał Banasiak, an analyst of politics and sports relations from the Polish Institute of Sports Diplomacy.