Making a Stand at Sochi

Consider the effort, ambition and determination that an athlete puts into competing at a major sporting event – the Olympics, Paralympics and Winter Olympics being the apex of the sporting calendar – then imagine being told at the last minute it was all in vain.  For reasons beyond your control you can no longer take part in what you’ve spent your life preparing for: crushing your hopes and dreams and potentially ruining careers.  This is the main reason why I think it would be wrong to boycott the Sochi Winter Olympics – respect for those representing team GB.

     However, I do realise it comes at the cost of giving up the principals of human rights that Britain has always championed.  Put simply, the overt homophobia in Russia is appalling.  For far too long it has been unchallenged by the rest of the world leaving many liberal countries with only a facade of tolerance: it’s all well and good to support equality at home, but ignoring international discrimination without any strong condemnation is hypocritical.  Putin’s anti-gay and lesbian rhetoric is ludicrous.  His anti-gay legislation has seen countless members of the Russian LGBT population physically and psychologically bullied with crimes ignored by the authorities. 

     With this in mind, I still believe that boycotting the Sochi Winter Olympics would be the wrong course of action.  I think that David Cameron is right to say that the best way to stand up to the crimes in Russia is to participate as opposed to sitting out.  Mainly because, unfortunately, boycotting the games would have little effect other than being a moral protest.  A protest of real consequence would only work if a number of liberal democracies signed up; and even then, would Russia listen or even care?

     As well as having little effect, a boycott would be politically damaging and I think this is Cameron’s main concern.  Relations with Russia are frosty at the best of times, but to snub such a massive event could potentially look like a petty retort to the disagreements the countries have had over the years.  Furthermore, it could escalate (as I’m sure the press would acknowledge) and resurrect the battle of liberalism against communism – it sounds a bit extreme, but the media wouldn’t hesitate to dramatise the issue. 

     The issues in Russia can only be solved by the international community pulling together to chastise the country for its human rights abuses.  The Winter Olympics itself is a sporting event and therefore should not be compromised for competitors and fans solely because of the faults of the host country; politics and sports are never a winning combination and should be left to their own devices.  The protest should have been against Russia hosting the event in the first place; but now, the situation is unchangeable.   Political diplomacy and pressure during and after the games would be more effect than not showing at all – which would almost be like giving in.  Let Britain turn up and show them how we do.