Ukrainian figure skater Ivan Shmuratko has said he wants to isolate himself from politics during the Beijing Olympics. About it writes RIA Novosti.
The athlete during a press conference after performing in a free program refused to speak Russian, preferring English to communicate with the foreign press. The skater agreed to communicate with Russian journalists in Ukrainian.
“Communication with the press is part of my job, but I want to discuss sports issues, not conflicts. I want to isolate myself from all this, ”the skater emphasized.
Shmuratko said that he has no relationship with Russian athletes. “We just go to the same rink to perform and train,” he explained.
On January 21, the Ministry of Sports of Ukraine advised the athletes to refuse interviews in Russian. Also, athletes from Ukraine were forbidden to pose for joint photos with the Russians.
However, Ukrainian figure skaters Artem Darensky and Sofia Golichenko, who compete in pair skating, chose to speak Russian at the Beijing Olympics, despite the ban. Athletes noted that they themselves decide in what language to communicate at the Olympics.
Source: Lenta
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