Culture Society, Identity and Belonging
The British government has backed a decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games. Last year, the UK led the charge against the International Olympic Committee after the IOC said it was “exploring a pathway” for athletes from the two countries to participate. Now Britain says it’s satisfied by conditions imposed on athletes: Russia and Belarus won’t appear in medal tables and can’t be part of team events; there’ll be no flags or anthems; and athletes must not have publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine or served in the military. Meanwhile: a French water charity has warned about pollution in the Seine, the planned location for several Olympic events; the opening ceremony has been scaled back because of security concerns and Emmanuel Macron has accused the Kremlin of trying to undermine the Olympics with a disinformation campaign. Faster, higher, more dangerous.