Vladimir Klitschko: Russian and Belarusian athletes are part of the army that kills people in Ukraine

Legendary former Ukrainian boxer Vladimir Klichko came out with harsh criticism International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the possible admission of athletes from Russia and Belarus to the 2024 Olympics.

“Sport is extremely important,” Klitschko emphasized.

“They [российские и белорусские спортсмены] should be banned as representatives of their government, as well as participants in the military system. As I speak, unfortunately, people are being killed in Ukraine, athletes are being killed. More than 250 athletes have been killed in Ukraine.”

“And we’re talking about someone who has been to the Olympics and someone who is going to compete in the Olympics as gymnasts. “We’re not just talking about boys, we’re also talking about little girls who were supposed to go to the Olympics but unfortunately were killed.”

“Who knows how many more people will be killed. And therefore, as a result, I am completely in favor of banning Russian and Belarusian teams. I hope that the President of the International Olympic Committee, Mr. Bach, intends to continue in the same spirit and is not going to say that sport has nothing to do with politics or war.”

“This has a lot to do with the war, because once again: all these athletes, the majority of Russian and Belarusian athletes, serve in the army – the Russian and Belarusian armies that killed, raped and were part of this war on the territory of Ukraine.”

IOC head Thomas Bach previously spoke about his organization’s desire to return athletes from Russia and Belarus to international competitions “for the sake of uniting the whole world at the Olympic Games.” The German called the position of Ukraine, which opposed the admission of all athletes from aggressor countries, “unconstructive.”

Earlier, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal said that Ukraine, together with a coalition of 35 countries, would boycott the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris if Russia and Belarus were allowed to participate. Vadim Gutzeit noted that Ukrainian athletes will perform at the Olympics if Russians and Belarusians compete under neutral flags.

Back in March, the IOC Executive Committee recommended the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions in a neutral status. In response to this, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to boycott the qualifying tournaments for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where the specified athletes will be admitted.

Subsequently, it became known that Ukraine may abandon the boycott of sports competitions in which athletes from the aggressor country and the country that supports terrorism, announced in the spring of 2023, take part. This decision may also apply to the 2024 Olympics.