Ukrainian athletes and teams will not be allowed to represent their home country in competitions involving Russian and Belarusian athletes, the government in Kyiv has decided.
Ukrainian athletes are not allowed to participate in international competitions if Russian and Belarusian athletes participate. The picture shows hurdlers Viktorija Tkatsjuk (tv) and Anna Ryzhykova. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB
In a statement, Ukraine’s Sports Ministry wrote that many national teams and their athletes are not allowed to compete against Russian or Belarusian teams in either the Olympics, Paralympics or events outside the Olympic umbrella.
The decision came two weeks after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that Russia and Belarus return to international sport as neutral athletes.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year and received help from Belarus to house troops en route to Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
The Ukrainian government’s decision has been met with criticism from some Ukrainian athletes, such as skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych.
– If Ukraine is not represented in the competition, it means we are leaving the international sports scene and giving Russia and Belarus the opportunity to promote their narratives and propaganda, he wrote on Twitter.
“Amateur analyst. Zombie geek. Hardcore troublemaker. Internet expert. Incurable twitter fanatic.”
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