Our Athletes on Russians at the Olympics: Fair Sports Competition with Them is Impossible

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has opened the door for Russian athletes to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics – it has lifted restrictions on their participation and reinstated recognition of the Olympic Committee of the Russian Federation. For Ukrainian sports, which has lost over 600 athletes and coaches during the full-scale war, this decision has become another blow. A journalist from Korotko pro spoke with Ukrainian sportswomen, who continue to prepare for international competitions under shelling and air raids, about how they perceived this step by the IOC.

Destroyed Bases and the Illusion of Peaceful Life

Bronze medalist of the 2020 Olympic Games Maryna Aleksiiva. Photo: http://dinamo.kharkiv.ua/

According to synchronized swimmer, bronze medalist of the 2020 Olympic Games Maryna Aleksiiva, a dangerous illusion is currently being created in international sports.

– First and foremost, this decision causes disappointment and anxiety. The war has not ended for Ukrainian athletes. We train daily under conditions where our fellow citizens are dying, cities are being destroyed, and many athletes and coaches have gone to defend the country or have died. Therefore, any decisions that can be perceived as a step towards normalizing Russia’s participation in international sports are perceived very painfully by the Ukrainian sports community.

Maryna admits that certain changes in the IOC’s approaches were observed earlier, when the committee began to shift responsibility to individual international federations. Nevertheless, sports have no right to pretend that nothing is happening while Ukrainian athletes are deprived of basic conditions for survival and training.

– The greatest injustice is that an impression is created as if sports can return to normal life, while for Ukraine the war continues. Ukrainian athletes have lost the opportunity to train normally, many have been forced to leave their homes, sports bases have been destroyed, and some of our colleagues have died. In such conditions, it is very difficult to talk about returning to “normal sports competition.” It is important that the international sports community remembers the price that Ukraine continues to pay.

The athlete is confident that Ukraine’s best response should be tough sports diplomacy – athletes must use every international start as a platform.

– It is important to actively work with international federations, national Olympic committees, and partners, providing facts about the consequences of Russian aggression for Ukrainian sports. Ukrainian sports diplomacy must remain strong, well-reasoned, and consistent. Our task is not only to fight for sports results but also to defend the principles of fair play, international law, and the memory of those athletes whose lives were taken by the war.

Political Pressure Instead of Fair Play

Bronze medalist of the 2025 European Weightlifting Championships Olha Ivzhenko. Photo: sportdonoda.gov.ua

Bronze medalist of the 2025 European Weightlifting Championships Olha Ivzhenko believes that the IOC’s flirtation with the aggressor state completely nullifies the Olympic values. For her, this decision appears to be an outright rejection of humanity.

– For me, this decision is unacceptable and devoid of any humanity and justice. The IOC turns a blind eye to all committed crimes and tries to normalize relations with the aggressor state, despite the ongoing war. The only thing that gives hope for a change in the situation is that not all sports communities have supported this decision and are not looking for reasons to soften sanctions against Russia.

According to the weightlifter, the return of Russian and Belarusian symbols to arenas is not about sports, but about legitimizing the aggression, which is happening against the backdrop of colossal losses of the Ukrainian Olympic family.

– The injustice lies in the fact that the IOC ignores the fact that over 600 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have died as a result of the full-scale war. Athletes continue to train under shelling, lose their homes, and are forced to leave the country. And now the use of national flags, anthems, and state symbols of Russia and Belarus becomes political pressure.

Between an Air Strike and the Starting Whistle

Participant of the Rio, Tokyo, and Paris Games, hammer thrower Iryna Klymets. Photo: Instagram Iryna Klymets

Perhaps, those who combine Olympic preparation with the harsh realities of the Ukrainian rear react most emotionally to the decisions of international officials. Participant of the Rio, Tokyo, and Paris Games, hammer thrower Iryna Klymets describes the state of Ukrainian athletes in two words: despair and hopelessness. She knows firsthand what it is like to enter the sector after a sleepless night.

– Despair, hopelessness! Every day, civilians, athletes are dying – and then such news. Yes, I could not have imagined that such a decision would be made. We do not sleep peacefully, our training bases are destroyed, some have lost their homes – last year at 5 am there was an air strike near my house, my apartment was damaged, and at 10 am the Ukrainian championship, the selection for the European Cup, was held. In what state was I? Everyone has relatives, friends, classmates, acquaintances who are on the front lines. Last year, my classmate was killed! We train and interrupt training due to air raids.