Oleksandr Usyk urges ban on Russia at Paris Olympics 2024

Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk urged the International Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the Olympic Games, saying any medals it wins in Paris subsequent 12 months can be tainted by the blood of his countrymen who’ve died in Russia’s warfare together with his nation.

Ukraine has threatened to boycott the Games over the IOC’s willingness to let athletes from Russia and Belarus return to worldwide competitors for the 2024 Games, albeit as neutrals with out nationwide flags or anthems.

Russians have competed as neutrals previously three Olympics as punishment for state-backed doping, however Ukraine hopes to safe widespread worldwide help for banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Paris Olympics.

“I am a Ukrainian athlete. I won an Olympic gold in boxing in 2012. I am the current world heavyweight champion,” Usyk stated in an announcement addressing IOC president Thomas Bach. “You want to allow Russian athletes to compete at the Olympics. Russian armed forces invaded our country and kill civilians.

“The Russian military is killing Ukrainian athletes and coaches and destroying sports activities grounds in addition to sports activities halls. The medals that Russian athletes are going to win are medals of blood, deaths and tears.”

Paris 2024 organisers say they will abide by the IOC’s decision on Russian and Belarusian athletes’ participation in the Games, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the governing body to ban them from the Games.

He said if they were not barred, it would be tantamount to showing that “terror is someway acceptable.”

Russia denies committing atrocities in Ukraine and has said that attempts to ban its athletes from international sports are “doomed to fail.”

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Tuesday it was inconceivable to have Russian athletes marching as a delegation in the French capital “as if nothing had occurred” while “bombs are nonetheless raining down on Ukraine.”