This matter is more than people think. Russia uses sports, art, and other public events as a way to normalize their appearance and participation in the international community; to avoid being seen as a pariah state, and as a way to signal that other countries are condoning their behavior and therefor its legitimate.

e.g. https://www.politico.eu/article/how-the-venice-biennale-became-russia-way-back-into-europe-art/