As Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, various international sports organizations have begun imposing sanctions on the country and its athletes.
Below, we take a look at the governing bodies that have so far either suspended Russian teams from competitions or stripped the country of its right to host events.
Paralympics
Russian and Belarusian athletes were not allowed to compete at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing after multiple teams threatened not to compete at the Games, according to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The decision came less than a day after the IPC initially permitted athletes from both countries to compete as neutrals under the Paralympic flag and the Paralympic anthem.
IPC President Andrew Parsons said on March 2 that Russian athletes should not be viewed as “aggressors” and that the organization’s governing board didn’t have the authority to ban athletes outright as a result of its constitution.
In an abrupt U-turn, the IPC said in a statement on March 3 that multiple National Paralympic committees (NPCs), teams and athletes had threatend not to compete and that the situation in the athlete villages “is escalating […] and ensuring the safety of athletes has become untenable.”
“By no fault of its own the war has now come to these Games and behind the scenes many Governments are having an influence on our cherished event,” Parsons said.
“In taking our decision yesterday we were looking at the long-term health and survival of the Paralympic Movement. We are fiercely proud of the principles and values that have made the Movement what it is.”
Football
FIFA and UEFA announced in a joint statement on February 28 that they had suspended all Russian international and club teams from their competitions “until further notice.”
Although there were no Russian teams remaining in UEFA’s men’s or women’s Champions League and men’s Conference League, Spartak Moscow’s match against RB Leipzig in the Europa League has been called off, with the German club now advancing to the quarterfinals as a result.
On the international stage, FIFA’s jurisdiction over World Cup qualifiers means that, as it stands, Russia will not be able to play its World Cup playoff against Poland scheduled for March 24 – and could possibly miss out on football’s showpiece event as a result.
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” the joint statement read. “Both Presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”
READ: FIFA and UEFA suspend all Russian international and club teams from competitions
The FIA and Formula One
The World Motor Sport Council held an extraordinary meeting on March 1 in regards to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and decided on a range of punishments for Russian and Belarusian motorsport, motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, said in a statement.
The approved measures included a ban on competitions held in both Russia and Belarus and the prohibition of both countries’ flags and anthems, “until further notice.”
Individual drivers from either Russia or Belarus can still compete, but only in “their neutral capacity and under the ‘FIA flag,’ subject to specific commitment and adherence to the FIA’s principles of peace and political neutrality,” the statement added.
On March 6, the Haas F1 team terminated the contract of Russian driver Nikita Mazepin and its title sponsor Uralkali amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mazepin was preparing to compete in his second season in F1 having raced for Haas throughout 2021.
“Haas F1 Team has elected to terminate, with immediate effect, the title partnership of Uralkali, and the driver contract of Nikita Mazepin,” the team said in a statement.
“As with the rest of the Formula 1 community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes for a swift and peaceful end to the conflict.”
In a statement on social media, Mazepin said he is “disappointed” with the decision, adding: “While I understand the difficulties, the ruling from FIA (motorsport governing body) plus my ongoing willingness to accept the conditions proposed in order to continue were completely ignored and no process was followed in this unilateral step.