Ukrainian athletes ask France to ban Russia at 2024 Olympics،
A total of 192 Ukrainian athletes signed an open letter to French President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Tuesday asking them to exclude Russia from this summer's Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) rejected a blanket ban when it confirmed in December that Russians would be allowed to compete as neutral individual athletes, although Russian President Putin also said the country had no not yet made a final decision on whether its competitors will participate.
The Ukrainian athletes' letter, which includes the signatures of Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Zhan Beleniuk and soccer star Mykhailo Mudryk, asks officials to “respect the Olympic principles” and prevent the participation of Russian athletes.
The letter, released by the Ukrainian Sports Ministry, said: “Ukrainian athletes express our respect and gratitude for your unwavering stance and comprehensive support for the Ukrainian state in its struggle for sovereignty and independence against the actions of 'a brutal attacker.
“France has become one of Ukraine’s most influential and renowned partner countries, tirelessly providing the Ukrainian people with the necessary support and assistance to exercise their right to preserve Ukrainian freedom and identity. “
The letter was also addressed to other French officials, including Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera, and Tony Estanguet, president of the organizing committee for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
It is up to the governing body of each Olympic sport to evaluate and impose neutral status on individual athletes who have not actively supported the war and who are not under contract with military or security agencies of the State. Those who benefit from neutral status must compete without national identity, flag, anthem or colors.
Russia remains banned from team sports.
The IOC has previously said it does not want the Russian flag or anthem flown during the Games, and has excluded athletes under contract with the Russian military or security services or who have publicly supported the military campaign Russian in Ukraine.
“In July 2024, the XXXIII Olympic Games will begin in Paris. We, Ukrainian athletes, seek your continued support in the fight to uphold the Olympic principles and prevent athletes from terrorist states from participating in them,” the letter continues.
Russian athletes have already competed without national symbols at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics and at the last Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021. On those occasions, the measures were part of the fallout from years of conflict over doping .
