Birmingham leaders say decision to ban Russian athletes from the World Games ‘a show of solidarity’
Legion Field prepares for The World Games 2022.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said he took no joy in the decision to block Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the World Games, which Birmingham will host in July, but that allowing the athletes to compete would ignore Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression against the people of Ukraine.
Those comments came Tuesday at the Birmingham Kiwanis Club, a day after the World Games board of directors voted to enact the ban in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“By daring to battle against the persecution of innocent people – that’s our legacy that we stand proud on. That’s the legacy that we look forward to showing the world,” Woodfin said, referencing Birmingham’s history of social justice and civil rights.
On February 24, Russia attacked Ukraine. Since then, many countries have enacted sanctions on Russia or made other moves to isolate the country. Belarus is an ally of Russia.
The World Games’s ban followed a recommendation the same day from the International Olympic Committee executive board which said athletes from Russia and Belarus should be banned from worldwide competitions.
“We had to show our solidarity at this moment with the Olympic movement and the rest of the free world in supporting peace and opposing tyrannical behavior of Putin,” World Games CEO Nick Sellers said.
At least 100 Russian and Belarusian athletes were expected to participate in this summer’s World Games. As of now, over 50 Ukrainian athletes are scheduled to compete in 11 sports, although it’s not clear if they will be able to attend when the games start on July 7 given the fighting in Ukraine.
Woodfin and Sellers both said it was not an easy decision to bar the athletes. Woodfin said he believes the World Games will be a unifying event.
“This decision is not meant to divide us. Instead, it is a show of solidarity for those who need it the most,” Woodfin said.
Pokémon Legends Z-A is a game of epic proportions, best played on the Switch 2
Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels like a mega evolution for the whole series — a colossal achievement that runs splendidly on the Switch 2 after the buggy disappointments of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Questions remain about deceased Israeli hostages in Gaza
The tenuous ceasefire in the two-year Israel-Hamas war appears to be holding even as complex issues remained ahead.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills enters crowded Democratic race to unseat Susan Collins
Mills was reportedly recruited by Democratic Senate leaders after her high-profile confrontation with President Donald Trump in February, in which she told the president she'd "see you in court."
Data centers are booming. But there are big energy and environmental risks
How tech companies and government officials handle local impacts will shape the industry's future in the U.S.
In reading, the nation’s students are still stuck in a pandemic slump
New 2025 testing data shows third- through eighth-graders scored far below 2019 levels in reading. In math, some grades have made gains, but all are lagging compared to before the pandemic.
M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks join forces on ‘Remain’ novel and film
Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and novelist Nicholas Sparks describe their collaboration to simultaneously craft the new novel and upcoming film Remain as a unique one that's unlikely to be replicated.
