Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants 'complete isolation' for Russia not Olympic return

Paris: Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday Russian athletes should face “complete isolation” and not be welcomed back at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Zelensky told International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach that he strongly opposed moves by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at the 2024 Paris Games provided they do not participate under their countries’ colours or flags.

US officials said Monday there was “unanimous interest” among delegates to an IOC summit to come up with a pathway that would allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to return to competition.

Russia and Belarus have been isolated from international sport ever since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February.

However, Zelensky blasted the American moves, claiming that “since February, 184 Ukrainian athletes have died as a result of Russia’s actions”.

Zelensky told Bach he was disappointed with the presence of the president of the Russian Olympic Committee at the IOC summit on 9 November.

“One cannot try to be neutral when the foundations of peaceful life are being destroyed and universal human values are being ignored,” he said in a statement.

Zelensky added that the only response is “the complete isolation of the terrorist state on the international stage. In particular, this applies to international sports events.”

At this year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing, Russian athletes were only allowed to compete under the country’s Russian Olympic Committee flag due to previous doping violations.

However many athletes from Russia competed in uniforms in the colours of the Russian flag.

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