Ukraine Condemns IOC Decision to Allow Russian Athletes in 2028 Olympics

Ukraine's Sports Minister, Matviy Bydny, sharply criticized the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recent decision to lift restrictions on Russian athletes participating in competitions leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. In an interview with Germany's DW, Bydny expressed deep shock and called the move unfair to athletes who compete under the rules, labeling it a disregard for the memory of hundreds of Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia.

Bydny urged IOC President Kirsty Coventry to visit Ukraine to witness the harsh realities firsthand, including soldiers parting from their children at train stations and young athletes training amid air raid sirens. He argued that such a visit would end any talk of neutrality or procedural adherence by the IOC.

Rejecting the IOC's legal rationale that the Russian Olympic Committee no longer includes organizations from Ukrainian-controlled territories, Bydny stated that Russia removed all 89 regional organizations from its list, not just those in occupied areas. He called the IOC's decision a deliberate denial of reality that undermines its credibility.

Since the start of the war, 688 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed, and 911 sports facilities have been destroyed or damaged. Bydny emphasized that for Ukraine, this is a matter of survival and warned that the IOC's decision sends a dangerous message of total immunity.

Among the fallen was former Maccabi Haifa player Sergiy Blanchuk, who joined the Ukrainian army in April 2022 and died weeks later in battles near Bakhmut.