Ukrainian athletes are facing challenges as they prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The war with Russia and the pain and anger that it has caused is making it difficult for Ukrainian athletes to focus on training for the games. The Mariupol-born Ukrainian diver, Stanislav Oliferchyk, who planned to use the city’s aquatic center as his training base, had to abandon the plan because it was bombed the same day as the city’s drama theatre. Oliferchyk’s grandfather also died in the war as he could not receive the necessary treatment for his cancer in the ruins of Mariupol.
2024 Paris Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is currently considering whether to allow Russians and Belarusians to participate in the games, despite protests from Ukrainian athletes. The Ukrainians are horrified by the possibility of having to compete with athletes from Russia and Belarus, which they view as a betrayal of their country. Some athletes have threatened to boycott the games if Russians and Belarusians are allowed to participate. The Ukrainian twins, Maryna and Vladyslava Aleksiiva, who won bronze in the artistic swimming team competition at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, have also said that they would have to boycott the games if Russians and Belarusians are allowed to compete. The war with Russia has disrupted the training of Ukrainian athletes.
Disrupt Training Sessions OF the Paris Olympics
Russian strikes have destroyed training venues, and air raids disrupt training sessions. Athletes have lost family members and friends or are consumed by worries that they will. The conflict has also closed Ukraine’s airspace, making it difficult for athletes to travel to international competitions. Ukrainian Sports Minister Vadym Guttsait said that Ukrainian athletes train while cruise missiles and bombs are flying. The athletes also face mental stress as they read the news of explosions and air alerts and worry about their relatives. The terrors of war are also affecting the mental health of Ukrainian athletes.
Russian Athletes for the next 50 or 100 Years
Maryna Aleksiiva said that the athletes feel nervous about their relatives every day as they read the news of explosions and air alerts. Oliferchyk said that he cannot imagine a handshake between Ukrainian and Russian athletes for the next 50 or 100 years. The war with Russia has made it difficult for Ukrainian athletes to prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The destruction of training venues, the mental stress caused by the conflict, and the moral dilemma of having to compete against athletes from Russia and Belarus are significant challenges that they must overcome. The IOC must consider the views of Ukrainian athletes carefully before making a decision on whether to allow Russians and Belarusians to participate in the games.
