Olympic body responds after Kyiv accuses it of promoting war for considering Russian athletes\u2019 return
\n KYIV:
\nThe International Olympic Committee on Monday rejected fierce criticism from Ukrainian officials, who have accused it of promoting war after the body said Russians could potentially be given the opportunity to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
\nUkrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak at the weekend described the Lausanne-based body as promoting \u201cviolence, mass murders, destruction\u201d and said on Monday a Russian presence at the Games would constitute giving the country \u201ca platform to promote genocide\u201d.
\n\u201cThe IOC rejects in the strongest possible terms this and other defamatory statements,\u201d the IOC said in a statement.
\n\u201cThey cannot serve as a basis for any constructive discussion.\u201d
\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who last week called for a campaign to keep Russian athletes from competing in Paris, asked Denmark\u2019s visiting prime minister for support on Monday.
\nIn his nightly video address, Zelenskiy pledged to \u201cprotect sports structures and the international Olympic movement from being discredited through the efforts of some representatives of sports bureaucracy to allow Russian athletes at international competitions\u201d.
\nRussia invaded neighbour Ukraine on Feb 24 last year saying it wanted to protect its security and Russian speakers. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions driven from their homes.
\nUkrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba drew attention earlier to the fact that many Russian Olympians had ties with the military, including by competing for sports clubs affiliated with the defence ministry.
\n\u201cThe army that commits atrocities, kills, rapes, and loots. This is whom the ignorant IOC wants to put under white flag allowing to compete,\u201d Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
\nRussia has denied allegations that its forces have committed atrocities in Ukraine.
\nThe IOC said last week that it welcomed a proposal from the Olympic Council of Asia for Russian and Belarusian athletes to have the chance to compete in Asia. That could potentially also include Olympic qualifying events, given Russian and Belarusian athletes are unable to compete in Europe due to various restrictions and bans as well as opposition caused by Russia\u2019s invasion.
\nThe IOC added then, however, that each sport federation was the \u201csole authority for its international competitions\u201d.
\nThe Russian foreign ministry has said any attempt to squeeze Moscow out of international sport because of what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine is \u201cdoomed to fail\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Olympic body responds after Kyiv accuses it of promoting war for considering Russian athletes\u2019 return KYIV: The International Olympic Committee on Monday rejected fierce criticism from Ukrainian officials, who have accused it of promoting war after the body said Russians could potentially be given the opportunity to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Ukrainian presidential […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-311006","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n