some figure skating fans don’t seem to understand that there’s a political world outside of figure skating which affects figure skating. the ISU didn’t ban the Russians because they’re ’scared of trusova’ they banned the Russians because THEY INVADED A FUCKING COUNTRY. Because THEY’VE KILLED A MILLION FUCKING PEOPLE.
russian athletes should not be unbanned and should not have been allowed to attend the olympics even as neutral athletes
In short: the ban on Russian athletes came into effect just after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics due to Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine. They haven’t stopped invading Ukraine, so sanctions/bans should not be lifted.
if you’re a new fs fan and want to know more/want to talk about the Russian ban, or the ISU review of the ban then feel free to comment/reblog
These are the common reasons I see that Russian athletes should be allowed to compete
Individual Russian athletes are not responsible for the actions of their governments, so they shouldn’t be punished for it.
Whether or not they personally support the war, the Russian Government (and governments worldwide) use their dominance in figure skating as propaganda to prove their power and superiority over other nations. Allowing Russian skaters to compete gives the Russian government another avenue to spread their propaganda while they fight a war. In the Sochi 2014 Olympics, the Russian Federation went so far as to use banned substances to give their athletes an advantage, as they wanted a ‘Russian sweep’ of the Olympics to act as a cover of their invasion of Crimea.
Russian athletes should still be allowed to compete at the Olympics, because they are the best and the Olympics is a competition of the best.
The Russian Federation violated the Olympic truce in 2022, as the 2022 Olympic truce lasted from 28 January 2022 to 20 March 2022, and Russia launched its full scale invasion on February 24th. The purpose of the Olympic Truce is to allow safe travel for Olympic athletes to and from the games. As Russia violated this truce, it is understandable that they would not be allowed at the games.
Israel and the US have both invaded other countries, and the US violated the 2026 Olympic Truce by bombing Iran. If Russia is banned, they should be as well.
Personally, I agree, but Israel doesn’t have the influence in figure skating that Russia does, and the USA did not launch an ‘on the ground’ invasion of Iran, so it is a ‘lesser crime’ in the eyes of the ISU. Either way, Russia’s ban is a separate issue from the USA or Israel, and allowing Russia back into international competition in the name of ‘fairness’ is nonsensical.
Russian athletes need to support the war, otherwise they face consequences from the government funded skating federation, often monetarily which they need to support their families.
No, they don’t need to support the war. 2018 silver medalist Evgenia Medvedeva made an Instagram story soon after the 24th of February invasion where she publicly wished for the trouble to stop. Additionally, one of the requirements to attend Milano-Cortina was to be ‘neutral’ on the war, and athletes managed to pass those requirements. Also, these athletes, which are mostly children, should not be expected to provide for their families. If RusFed relies on extortion to get CHILDREN to verbally support their government, it’s all the more reason to ban them from international competition.
the ISU is run by shithead alcoholic boomers who will prioritise money and the popularity of the sport over athlete safety and welfare. But we knew that already.
hi call me loopie on this blog, she/her pronouns preferred. I’m an amateur figure skater who does it for fun + health, because any sport where I can’t instantly cool off is absolute hell. Loop is unsurprisingly my favourite jump, and just a simple back scratch spin is my fav spin. I think anyone and everyone should give ice skating a go. I also think amber glen’s double threes into a triple loop is the best jump ever.
I am also very opinionated about this sport and the politics/health around it, so I will be talking about eating disorders in relation to figure skating, and the ‘Russian issue’.
organisation tags below the divider
loopie’s program ⟢ my posts
loopie’s serious talk ⟢ any posts talking about serious topics, such as abuse/eating disorders/sexual assault as it relates to figure skating. I will also put tw in posts
loopie’s liveblogging ⟢ live-blogging any comps
loopie talks rusfed ⟢ my opinions on russian figure skaters + the ban
