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Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk has grow to be the most recent athlete calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ban Russian athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics. Usyk, who gained a gold medal on the 2012 Olympics in London, lately addressed IOC president Thomas Bach in a put up on Instagram by which he strongly condemned the plan to permit Russian athletes on the 2024 Olympics. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nonetheless ongoing, Usyk stated Russians would solely win “medals of blood.”
“I’m a Ukrainian athlete,” Usyk wrote on Instagram. “I gained an Olympic gold in boxing in 2012. I’m the present world heavyweight champion and my identify is Oleksandr Usyk. You wish to permit Russian athletes to compete on the Olympics. Russian Armed Forces invaded our nation and kill civilians.
“Russian Army 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.
“Let me want you to have peaceable sky above you and to be in well being and completely satisfied.”
Usyk’s assertion comes lower than two weeks after Wladimir Klitschko known as out Bach in a Twitter video. Like Usyk, Klitschko stated permitting Russian athletes to take part in 2024 can be inexcusable.
“The Russians are Olympic champions in crimes towards civilians,” Klitschko stated. “They have the gold medal in deportation of kids and rape of ladies. You can not put your Olympic emblem on these crimes as a result of you’ll be an confederate with this abominable battle.”
Back in January, the IOC launched a press release saying it needed to create a “pathway” for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete within the 2024 Summer Games. In order to be eligible, these athletes must chorus from publicly supporting Russia’s battle with Ukraine, and so they must compete as impartial athletes with out sporting the colours of their dwelling nation.
