Ukrainian tennis player Kichenok refused to shake hands with the Russians after the defeat in Stuttgart
Ukrainian tennis player Lyudmila Kichenok refused to shake hands with Russians Anastasia Potapova and Veronika Kudermetova after the match of the first round of the doubles tournament in Stuttgart, Germany. It is reported by Sport24.
Kichenok, playing with the Latvian Elena Ostapenko, lost to the Russians with a score of 6:3, 4:6, 6:10. The Latvian athlete fulfilled the protocol and congratulated her rivals, but Kichenok refused to do so.
Kichenok is the winner of eight tournaments of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) in doubles. The athlete said that she would not like to meet in tournaments with Russians.
On April 14, the Ministry of Sports of Ukraine banned Ukrainian athletes from participating in competitions with Russians and Belarusians. In response, the International Olympic Committee said that the Ukrainian government does not have the right to decide which athletes can participate in international competitions.
Source: Lenta
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
