Irish Examiner view: Olympic boycott

Given its appalling record on political matters, there's little doubt that further controversies await the International Olympic Committee. Stock picture

Olympic Federation of Ireland president Sarah Keane stated unequivocally this week that Ireland would not be boycotting the Paris Olympics next year.

This should be seen in the context of Ukrainian opposition to Russia and Belarus competing in the Paris Games while the war continues in Ukraine.

The International Olympic Committee is working on a compromise, but given its appalling record on political matters down the decades, there can be little doubt that further controversies await.

In the Irish context, Keane stated that Sports Minister Thomas Byrne has told the OFI it will not interfere with the body’s plans. But last month Byrne signed a letter, along with 32 other nations, urging the IOC to reconsider any intention to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the Olympic Games as neutrals.

How can the Government stand with 32 other nations on this point and also tell its own Olympic federation it can do as it wishes?

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At least Byrne and Keane don’t have the Oscars to worry about. The Ukrainian World Congress has written to AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) asking for a review of the eligibility of Top Gun: Maverick for awards because it claims the film was part-funded by a Russian oligarch who is on a list of sanctioned businessmen issued by Ukraine.

Reader focus may be torn between this glimpse of the murky world of movie funding — and what a review might mean for Irish chances of Oscar success.