Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 20)
NPR Online NewsAPR 2022
These athletes are paying a steep price, but bans are necessary to deny Putin one of his most reliable political tools and isolate him internationally.
This is an error. It's unfair to penalize individual athletes for decisions taken by the leaders of their countries, and it sets a dangerous precedent. The intent may be to embarrass Russia, but it will more likely simply foment victimhood back home.
It's hypocritical for the British to sanction Russia for invading Ukraine while not sanctioning themselves for invading Iraq for equally unjustified reasons.
What looks like a political statement is probably more about optics. Wimbledon dreaded the thought of a Russian or Belarusian player winning the title and then holding up a trophy on its Center Court, before taking traditional pictures with members of the Royal Family.