2020 Ukrainian Athletes And Trainers Died Of War, President Zelensky: The Olympics Must Be Protected From Russian Sports Politization

Illustration of the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Wikimedia Commons/Chabe01)

JAKARTA - Ukraine hopes to gain broad international support to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics, due to last year's Moscow invasion.

Sports Minister Vadym Chasusait, 51, who is also a former Olympic fencing champion, said the idea of allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutral athletes was unacceptable.

"It is impossible for us at a time when a full-scale war is underway, as our athletes, our soldiers defend our homeland," he said at his office in Kyiv.

Last week the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was open to including Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutral at the Olympics and opened the door for them to compete in qualifying, encouraging Kyiv's international campaign to prevent them.

Moscow said on Tuesday it would welcome every move by the IOC to allow its athletes to compete in the Olympics.

However, hours later the IOC said it supports sanctions imposed on these countries over Russia's invasion.

"Sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian countries and governments cannot be negotiated. They have been unanimously confirmed by a recent Olympic summit meeting on December 9, 2022," the IOC tweeted.

The sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian States and Governments are not negotiable. They have been unanimously confirmed by the recent Olympic Summit meeting on 9 December 2022. ➡️ IOC reaction to comments made by the ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov. pic.twitter.com/BuQdZNseDf

— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) January 31, 2023

At least 220 Ukrainian athletes and coaches were killed in the war, said Mikhasait, who won the Olympic fencing team's gold medal in 1992 for Unified Team consisting of 12 of the former Soviet Republic 15. He also coached the winning team of Ukraine at the 2008 Olympics.

"Ukraine will unite with many countries... and it (Russia competing) will not be allowed," he added, saying 40 countries had provided Ukrainian athletes with housing assistance and training abroad during the war.

Last week, the IOC said the Asian Olympic Council had offered Russian and Belarusian athletes the opportunity to compete in Asia, perhaps allowed to get slots for Paris 2024 through the Asian qualifying system.

If that happens, Ukrainian sports authorities and athletes will face a "very difficult decision" on whether to boycott Paris, says Bofisait.

"When we lost so many people, so many athletes, the lives of Ukrainians were more important to us than any medal in international competitions," he stressed.

Meanwhile, President Zelensky in his evening address in recent days also mentioned the matter.

He has written a letter to President Emmanuel Macron of France, the host country of the Olympics. And he has raised the issue with the Danish leader and the elected president of the Czech Republic. On Tuesday, he submitted a request for support to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo of Belgium.

"The Olympics and international sporting activities in general must be protected from Russian efforts that usually politicize sports," President Zelensky said in his evening address, citing The New York Times.

"Russian sports politization will definitely mean justification of terror. This should not be tolerated," he stressed.

It is known that the Russian Olympic team had previously faced restrictions after being found to have violated anti-doped regulations, and competed under a neutral flag at last year's Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, many sports bodies have suspended Russian teams or athletes in protest, with the IOC recommending events in Russia to be canceled, with Russian and Belarusian athletes competing under the neutral flag.