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Hockey great Wickenheiser wants IOC to boot out Russia, Belarus

IOC recommended Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials be excluded from competition
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Hockey great Hayley Wickenheiser poses with a young fan, Crofton B.C.鈥檚 Savanah Sanchez. (Photo submitted, Chemainus Valley Courier)

From calling for ejection to athletes lobbying for more punishment, Canada has invested in sport sanctions against Russia on multiple fronts.

International sport governing bodies barring Russia from events in response its invasion of Ukraine means Russians will likely not compete in March鈥檚 women鈥檚 world curling championship in Prince George, B.C.

Six-time Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser was among Canadian and international athletes calling for the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee to take the ultimate step of booting Russia and invasion-supporter Belarus out of the Olympic and Paralympic movements.

鈥淚 100 per cent believe until Russia, the aggressor in this war, and anyone supporting Russia and the invasion and the killing of innocent people, until that stops Russia has no place in the Olympic movement, which is about peace and the world working together,鈥 Wickenheiser told The Canadian Press on Monday.

鈥淚 think they need to ban Russia, Belarus.鈥

Just over a week after the close of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, the IOC recommended Monday that Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials be excluded from competition by international sport federations.

Wickenheiser, who capped her eight-year term on the IOC鈥檚 athletes commission this year, says that edict lacks teeth as has the IOC鈥檚 handling of Russia鈥檚 doping scandal since 2014.

鈥淯nfortunately, I鈥檝e witnessed this dance with Russia for eight years. It鈥檚 always appeasement,鈥 she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 never harsh enough sanctions taken and it鈥檚 time for that.鈥

The Canadian Olympic Committee and the COC Athletes鈥 Commission echoed Wickenheiser鈥檚 call for a ban.

The organizations said in a joint statement Monday that they 鈥渟trongly urge all Canadian national sport organizations and organizations hosting international sporting events in Canada to immediately rescind invitations and bar the participation of athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus.鈥

FIFA and the World Curling Federation were among the world sport bodies moving against Russia and Belarus on Monday, with Canada鈥檚 domestic bodies following suit.

The International Ice Hockey Federation has suspended all national teams from Russia and Belarus and withdrawn Russia鈥檚 hosting rights for the 2023 world junior hockey championship in response to Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine.

The decision came Monday following a meeting of the IIHF鈥檚 council.

The IIHF said Russian and Belarusian national teams and clubs would be suspended until further notice. The organization left open the possibility of further sanctions. Russia is scheduled to host the world men鈥檚 championship in May 2023.

The IIHF鈥檚 announcement comes on the same day that FIFA and the World Curling Federation also banned Russia and Belarus from competing.

The suspensions remove perennial contender Russia from the rescheduled men鈥檚 world junior championship in Alberta this summer.

The junior tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer was called off Dec. 30 after four days because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

The WCF amended its rules with the intention of kicking Russia out of upcoming world championships, including the 13-country women鈥檚 tournament March 19-27 in Prince George.

If more than 10 per cent of its member countries object in a three-day span, however, the amendment isn鈥檛 immediate and gets punted to the next WCF assembly.

The Russians had yet to declare a representative team for Prince George. Curling Canada doesn鈥檛 want them there now.

鈥淭he invasion of Ukraine, a democracy, and an important member of our World Curling membership, must be met with swift and assertive sanctions that makes a strong statement of our collective values, our ethical stance, and, first and foremost, demonstrates concern for the safety and the freedoms of the people of Ukraine,鈥 Curling Canada said in a statement.

鈥淲e also urge the WCF to continue working toward addressing longstanding, serious concerns that we and other member nations have raised about the culture of sport in Russia. These concerns must be dealt with in order to ensure a level playing field for all athletes, and to remain true to the spirit of curling.鈥

FIFA, under considerable pressure when Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic refused to play World Cup qualifiers against Russia, suspended the latter country Monday. Canada joined in the condemnation.

鈥淚n steadfast support of Ukraine, its people and Ukrainian Canadians who represent the third largest Ukrainian population outside of Ukraine and Russia, Canada Soccer, its member associations and clubs will not compete at any level against Russia until sovereignty and territorial integrity are restored,鈥 Canada Soccer said in a statement.

鈥淲e wholeheartedly condemn the hostile attack on Ukraine by Russia and stand united with Ukrainians here in Canada and around the globe.鈥

Wickenheiser was among over a dozen Canadian athletes alongside Clara Hughes, Beckie Scott and Kyle Shewfelt signing a Global Athlete letter addressed to IOC and IPC presidents Thomas Bach and Andrew Parsons respectively demanding the removal of Russia and Belarus.

A Hockey Hall of Famer and four-time Olympic gold medallist, Wickenheiser wasn鈥檛 optimistic about the IOC鈥檚 willingness to eject those countries.

鈥淭o this day, in everything I鈥檝e seen, I don鈥檛 feel there鈥檚 the courage and the strength to do it,鈥 she said. 鈥淗owever, I believe that they have the ability to do it if there鈥檚 enough will and pressure from inside.

鈥淚t will come down to what the membership of the IOC believes and feels and how much pressure they can put on Bach to make the decision.

鈥淚鈥檇 like to think there鈥檚 enough humanity in the IOC that they would do this, but I鈥檝e also seen politics and money, those things have won out over doing the right thing, particularly when it comes to Russia over the years. It鈥檚 just so blatantly obvious.鈥

鈥 Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press



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