Paris Olympics: Ukraine confirms participation

The Olympic Games in Paris are accompanied by a procession of problems related to threats, suspensions, boycotts. There is also good news, one problem has just been solved. Ukraine has announced that it will send its athletes to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, despite the continuation of the war with Russia, announced the Minister of Sports, Matvei Bidnii, in Kiev.

Bidnyi said that Ukraine has already claimed a victory by its presence in Paris after Russia was suspended from the Olympic movement due to the Russian invasion launched in February 2022. The president of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee (NOC), Vadim Gutsait, opined that the presence of the Ukrainian team at the 2024 Olympics sends a significant message, given that his athletes prepared for the Olympics "under rockets and bombs": "It is already a victory that we can participate under invasion conditions". Athletes from Russia and Belarus were conditionally allowed to participate in the Paris Games with neutral status, without national symbols and anthems. The International Olympic Committee and various international federations have warned that athletes from the two countries that supported the invasion will not be able to participate. Ukraine provided documentation about athletes in this situation. These arrangements paved the way for Ukraine's participation, and this week's announcement represents official confirmation. At the beginning of the month, the Ukrainian Olympic Committee issued a series of recommendations to its athletes to avoid meetings and photos with athletes from Russia and Belarus, where possible. The Olympic Games in Paris will take place between July 26 and August 11.