A global conflict is playing out at the Paris Olympics – just not in the way we think

From a row about an allegedly blasphemous biblical scene to a controversial boxing match, the Games have been hijacked by culture wars between Russia and the West

Members of the United Arab Emirates security team patrol a square near the Louvre in Paris ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics. On the eve of the Olympics, many feared the worst due to the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. Photo: AP/Ebrahim Noroozi

While sport has long prided itself on its capacity to promote peace and reconciliation, there was widespread anxiety before the Paris Olympics that the wars in Europe and the Middle East would poison the event. Thankfully, there have been no major security incidents. 

Yet geopolitical conflict has played out at the Games, including in the controversy over women’s boxing. On the eve of the Olympics, many feared the worst.