Welcome to The Resistance, International Olympic Committee.
The IOC ruled on Tuesday that Russian athletes will not be allowed to compete under the Russian flag at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea's Pyeongchang. Russian athletes that are found to be clean by a special IOC committee will be allowed to compete, but only wearing the Olympic Committee uniform, and their victories can only be marked by the Olympic anthem. In other words, nothing will mark them or their victories as Russian.
Twitter users have reacted to the news in an overwhelmingly political tone. Online, anything associated with Russia is immediately connected with Donald Trump and the 2016 election campaign, and the online resistance have not allowed this new opportunity to beat their favorite drum to pass.
Russia is banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics.
— Frederick Douglass (@gettinnoticedmo) 5 декабря 2017 г.
Oh cool, soooooo……
Curling is more secure than US Elections?
Sweeeeeeeet.
Russia banned from competing in 2018 Winter Olympics. Still not banned from rigging U.S. Elections. #PyeongChang2018 #olympics
— Air Farce (@AirFarceCBC) 5 декабря 2017 г.
Interestingly, the connection persists even among apparent Trump supporters.
I believe @realDonaldTrump should take some kind of action. Russian athletes shouldn’t b forced 2 miss Russia’s Olympic competition because communist progressive Democrats here in America can’t get over fact #TheBitchLost fair and square. Olympics suck without these babes there😉 pic.twitter.com/W5hgel4255
— TruthWarrior2016 (@Trump4future) 5 декабря 2017 г.
Both sides of the political aisle cast a humorous and ironic eye at the decision.
No problem
— Debbie Sideris🌈❄ (@debbiesideris) 5 декабря 2017 г.
We will be representing them #Olympics https://t.co/euTfHmFfzO
@realDonaldTrump Sorry your country won't be participating #Olympics
— Elisabeth D'Armiento (@thedeadlydonald) 5 декабря 2017 г.
Even incorporating the recent #resistance hashtag…
Dear #Olympics, If 45 fires Mueller, the citizens of the US may need your help with holding unethical peeps accountable. #TuesdayThoughts #TheResistance #Resist #Russia #RussiaGate
— Bonnie Rosensteel (@BkayRose) 5 декабря 2017 г.
the olympics….welcome to the #resistance
— ShiⒶ La Poof (@beefilmnz) 5 декабря 2017 г.
The United States has had eight Olympic medals stripped thanks to doping, but yeah, Russia is the only country who cheats. This will blow back hard on the IOC and it will be hilarious to watch.
— Jacob Weindling (@Jakeweindling) 5 декабря 2017 г.
There you have it: the US is the new Russia now.
However ridiculous, some strange people actually stayed within the framework of pure sport, finding completely different reasons to be dismayed by the results.
So you're telling me #Olympics athletes are on steroids and the events are STILL that fucking boring?
— Bro Gotti (@Keithbarcrunch) 5 декабря 2017 г.
America's northern neighbors, however, have different concerns about the ban:
Without a #Russia hockey team in the #Olympics #Canada has no one worth playing! #LetRussiaPlay #NoRussiaNoGames
— Jason Wilkinson (@Thatbugsmemore) 5 декабря 2017 г.
'NoRussiaNoGames'
Meawhile, the hashtag #NoRussiaNoGames is trending in the Russian segment of Twitter following the decision of the IOC to ban a number of Russian competitors from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Старик Депардье однозначен в своей позиции. Присоединяйтесь и вы к акции #NORUSSIANOGAMES! pic.twitter.com/jLT2Unp5ZQ
— Сергей (@Koldun87) 5 декабря 2017 г.
Just hours after the IOC’s decision, the hashtag has been used in almost 9,000 tweets.
Поддержим наших спортсменов! #noRUSSIAnoGAMES pic.twitter.com/OHYnCEk0Zm
— Актуальная Политика (@Current_policy) 27 ноября 2017 г.
In total, seven out of ten trending hashtags in the Russian segment of Twitter are related to the situation around disqualification of the Russian athletes.
Бессменная ведущая телеканала «Звезда» Ирина Лосик приглашает всех читателей и зрителей присоединиться к ней, и начать публиковать на своих страницах посты по теме с хэштегом.#NoRussiaNoGames pic.twitter.com/HCzbIWoCiQ
— Elyes 🇷🇺 🇹🇳 (@ilyes768) 5 декабря 2017 г.
The hashtag has also gone viral on other social media, including Instagram, Facebook and Russian social media service VKontakte.
Спорт не место для политики #NoRussiaNoGames pic.twitter.com/E1rM9LcJb1
— Виктория Карпова (@VVKarpova) 27 ноября 2017 г.
The Internet users express their disapproval of the IOC’s decision and support for the Russian athletes.
#NoRUSSIAnoGAMES: акция российских болельщиков в поддержку отстраненных лыжников https://t.co/51R7NpJFIn pic.twitter.com/7SuuKlVq5L
— Р-Спорт (@rsportru) 27 ноября 2017 г.
Some users, including French actor Gerard Depardieu, share pictures of themselves holding posters with the hashtag printed on it.
#NoRussiaNoGames 🇷🇺 Давайте поддержим наших спортсменов друзья! pic.twitter.com/ZVnvm7aTqG
— Elizaveta Stepanova (@diatranbor77) 28 ноября 2017 г.
