> I don't like using sports to make political statements. One of the virtues of sport is it's ability to put aside the politics and allow countries to interact/compete on positive terms.

Alas, since sporting events often do become infused with nationalism and athletes are not just representing themselves but also a country, that ideal is beyond reach.

In something like the Olympics or World Cup, we don't have a gathering of individuals from across the world. They are explicitly grouped by national representation. As long as that is the case, taking political action is valid. You can't let countries just have the good parts of representation without consequences for the bad stuff.

> If flags/countries are banned from sports, it needs to be done consistently and not just for western interests. Eg. Why wasn't the US flag banned during the invasion of Iraq or Afghanistan?

I mean, the only reason Russia tended to be flagless had nothing to do with overall geopolitics and a lot to do with them specifically cheating at the sports. But generally countries simply apply their pressure and organizing committees act in their own self-interest. Why "Chinese Taipei"? Because the committee found it more beneficial to kowtow to China for their support than to stand against their draconian politics.

Was there any serious pressure to stop US representation? Apparently not enough.