Maria complained about the suspension of Russian athletes
Ukrainian vice world champion in high jump Julia Levchenko reacted to the complaint of the Russian woman Maria Lasitskene to the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach.
“If you were really worried about the fate of athletes, you would not require them to speak out on this topic. [войны в Украине]but would try to unite the world through sport. But you chose the easiest solution for you: remove everyone on the basis of citizenship,” Lasickienė said in a statement.
“You say that you removed the Russians because of concerns about our safety, but this is not true. The performances of tennis players around the world once again prove this. Fans fall in love with athletes not because of their nationality, but because of what they show at competitions.”
Levchenko responded to the words of the Russian woman on Instagram:
“We supported you as much as we could. At the cost of their own reputation, they did not lose compassion. Even after the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine.
I wanted to believe in the idea ‘not everyone is like that’. Even when you were not allowed to participate in international competitions because of the rules violated by your country. And when they did, I personally sincerely empathized, wished me luck.
But when there is a full-scale invasion on the morning of February 24, a rocket comes five kilometers from my house, when I am trembling with fear at four in the morning and do not know who to call first when I receive a text from the coach ‘Julia, pack your bags’. In response – not a single word from the Russian athlete. On the contrary – concerts in honor of the war and almost unanimous support. This is not a sport outside of politics or politics in sports. This is fucking human life. This is the most valuable thing. These are not medals and records. It is the right to simply exist on this earth, to walk and breathe.
Adults, old people, children. Most are in basements, many are injured, many have psychological trauma for life, and someone has been deprived of his life.
Do you think that sport is more important than the right to live? Are you not allowed in because you are Russian? And they kill us simply because we are Ukrainians. Do you feel the difference?
The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine continues on its 106th day.
Recall that in March, Russians and Belarusians were suspended from the competitions of the current season of the Diamond League, the largest commercial athletics tournament.
Source: Sportarena
