Russia is returning to the Olympics.

And so the long controversy over the messy nexus of politics and sports simmers again.

The road back was paved this past week by the International Olympic Committee, which “provisionally” allowed the Russians to field a team for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Russia was banned in 2023 after its invasion of Ukraine, though a few athletes not affiliated with Russia’s military were allowed to compete in 2024 and 2026 as “neutral” participants.

It seems baffling that the ban was lifted as the war rages on and Russia continues to target Ukraine’s civilians. IOC president Kirsty Coventry, a former Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe, cited the IOC’s longstanding principle of neutrality in sports, saying all athletes should “have the possibility to participate in the Olympics and not be held responsible for the actions of their governments.”

It was a sentiment that sounds wonderful. But the reality is that athletes often are punished for and by their governments’........

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