Ukraine Bans Athletes From Competing Against Russians

Ukraine’s Government has officially announced that athletes from the country will not participate in any qualifying events for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris where there are Russians competing.

The decision was announced by Oleg Nemchinov, Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and a member of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine (NOCU), who also warned that National Federations that ignored the ruling would be punished.

“At the meeting of the Government, a protocol decision was made on the proposal of colleague [Ukrainian Sports Minister and NOCU President Vadym] Gutzeit that we take part in qualifying competitions [for the 2024 Olympics] only where there are no Russians,” Nemchinov said.

“Accordingly, participation outside these criteria may be grounds for depriving Federations of their national status.”

Reuters reports that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations Tuesday for the gradual return to international competition for Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals.

Athletes from the two countries have been banned from most elite international sporting competitions since last March in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.

“At a meeting of the government, a protocol decision was made on the proposal of colleague Huttsait that we take part in qualifying competitions only where there are no Russians,” Nemchinov was quoted as saying by Suspilne, Ukraine’s public broadcaster, on Thursday.

“Accordingly, participation outside these criteria may be grounds for depriving federations of their national status.”

The IOC is to make a separate decision on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in Paris at a later date. Ukraine has also threatened to boycott the 2024 Games should they be allowed to compete there.

Ukraine’s sports ministry condemned the IOC’s latest guidelines on Wednesday, while the head of Russia’s Olympic committee has said the IOC’s criteria were “unacceptable”.

“I want to tell our fellow athletes who are worried that due to the IOC measures and the admission of Russians or Belarusians to competitions, and accordingly Ukrainians will not be able to participate, that their careers will be broken,” Nemchinov said.

“But your life and that of your children will remain.”