Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina (29) has urged the ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Olympics.
She said Svitolina was visiting her homeland for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year. Witnessing the horrors of her war-stained homeland, Svitolina raised her voice, calling for a total ban on athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus from participating in the Olympics.
Svitolina said in an interview with 메이저사이트the Associated Press on the 9th (Korean time), “It would be very sad if Russia and Belarus competed in the Olympics.” If we maintain it, the wrong message will be sent to the world.”
She Svitolina is one of Ukraine’s leading tennis players.
In 2019 she reached the semifinals in women’s singles at Wimbledon and the US Open, and in 2017 she rose to number 3 in the singles world rankings. In the women’s singles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she won a bronze medal. However, she is currently ranked as low as 378 in the singles rankings.
“Sports are all government-related in Russia,” she said, adding that Ukraine’s boycott of the Games would be one of the options. said.
“Our people are fighting the Russian army on the front lines right now and are dying for our country and our freedom,” she added.
Russia and Belarus are facing bans from several international sports organizations following the invasion of Ukraine.
However, the recent move by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the Olympics as a neutral country has caused controversy.
In response, European countries, including Ukraine, are criticizing the IOC’s decision and showing a movement to boycott the Olympics.