1+1 Media, a Ukrainian media group, and famous Ukrainian athletes to call on the IOC to suspend Russians and Belarusians from the 2024 Olympics
In the particular video, 1+1 Media and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine united Ukrainian world-class athletes - ambassadors of the "Sports Front" initiative.
At the end of January 2023, the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, offered an opinion about the possible admission to international competitions including 2024 Olympics, Russian and Belarussian representatives as a “neutral” athletes. In the particular video, 1+1 Media and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine united Ukrainian world-class athletes - ambassadors of the "Sports Front" initiative. Thus, the following addressed the International Olympic Committee and its president Thomas Bach ahead of the IOC congress on March 28-30: Olympic champion and silver medalist of the 2016 Olympic Games Oleh Vernyaev, Olympic bronze medalist Hanna Rizatdinova, Olympic bronze medalist Stanislav Horuna, judo world champion Georgy Zantaraya, Olympic champion Zhan Beleniuk, Olympic champion Olha Harlan, European champion and vice world champion Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevich. The video translated into English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/CYa1Ux6Nhug
`The admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is unacceptable. Performance under a neutral flag is not a sanction; it is a way out of the situation for Russian and Belarusian athletes`, said Oleh Vernyaev, Ukrainian gymnast, Olympic champion, and silver medalist of the 2016 Olympic Games.
`Those medals they can win in tournaments under a neutral flag will be taken home and promoted under the Russian flag,` Stanislav Horuna, Ukrainian karateka, Olympic bronze medalist.
`Under the white flag, you can't hide Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol, Kramatorsk, Kremenchug, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, my native Mykolaiv, and all the peaceful cities that are under Russian attacks,` said Olha Kharlan, Ukrainian fencer, Olympic champion.
1+1 Media and partners are convinced that while the war in Ukraine continues, Russian and Belarusian athletes have no place in international sport. Therefore, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian media industry in collaboration with Ukrainian national sports federations, and associations, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine has been actively fighting the aggressor on the sports front. In June, the 1+1 Media group, together with the best football player in Europe in 2004, the head coach of the national team of Ukraine (2016-2021) Andrii Shevchenko launched the "Sports Front" communication campaign. The main goals are comprehensive support for Ukrainian athletes and to stop Russian sports propaganda.
1+1 Media are concerned about the latest statements regarding the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the 2024 Olympics in Paris and convinced that sport cannot remain politically neutral, let alone be a platform for unification when in real life there is a brutal war and a genocide of the Ukrainian people with the tacit or open support of Russian and Belarusian sports figures.
We believe that positive change can happen with a clear, consistent, and uncompromising position from such a respected organization as the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Therefore, we ask to continue the policy of suspending Russian and Belarusian athletes from all international competitions and tournaments. As long as Russia continues to wage a ruthless war against Ukraine, Russian Federation and Belarus athletes have no place in international sport in any status.
