Ukraine: The Ukraine President Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky, recently suggested that Russian athletes should face “complete isolation” and not be permitted back to the Olympic Games in 2024.
Mr. Zelensky told International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Mr. Thomas Bach regarding his opposition to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s plans to permit athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at the 2024 Paris Games as long as they do not represent their nations by flying their flags or colours.
According to US sources, there was “unanimous interest” among delegates to an IOC summit to come up with a pathway that would allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to return to competition. Since Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine in February, Russia and Belarus have been excluded from international sports.
The Ukraine President blasted the American actions, alleging that “184 Ukrainian athletes have died as a result of Russia’s actions since February.”
Mr. Zelensky voiced concern to Bach about the head of the Russian Olympic Committee’s involvement at the IOC summit on November 9th in their conversation.
“One cannot try to be neutral when the foundations of peaceful life are being destroyed and universal human values are being ignored,” the Ukraine leader remarked.
Mr. Zelensky continued by saying that the only remedy is “the complete isolation of the terrorist state on the international stage. In particular, this applies to international sports events.”
“At this year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing, Russian athletes were only allowed to compete under the country’s Russian Olympic Committee flag due to previous doping violations,” as per the report.
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