Deputy Zhurova: Ukraine will pick on Russian athletes at the Olympics
Kyiv will look for any means to harm Russian athletes at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, says Olympic champion and First Deputy Chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Svetlana Zhurova. In a conversation with Lenta.ru, she responded to the demand of Ukrainian sports authorities for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to disqualify nine athletes from the Games.
“I had no doubt that they would reach the point of absurdity. They will try to latch onto any opportunity, to present any arguments, especially since they were given such an order. They will now find fault with everything, that’s for sure, and how the IOC will accept this is a question,” the deputy said.
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The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine and the country’s Ministry of Sports have demanded that the IOC revoke invitations to the competition in Paris for nine Russian and Belarusian athletes. They believe that they cannot compete even under a neutral flag because they do not meet the necessary requirements.
The Ukrainian side claims that these athletes support the SVO and the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. As evidence, Kyiv cited the following arguments: the athletes’ likes on social networks under photos with the Z symbol, their publications on political topics, as well as participation in events that Kyiv considers propaganda.
The 2024 Olympics will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11. Russians and Belarusians were admitted to the competition as individual neutral athletes. The first list of participants was published on June 15, and is regularly updated.
Source: Lenta
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