March 2024. The Stand with Ukraine team met with Ukrainian athletes Valeriia Tereta (flatwater canoe/kayak) and Viktor Legkodukh (shot put) at Lviv City Hall to discuss the impact of the war on their lives and the unacceptable participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Paris Olympic Games.
Viktor Legkodukh, a young officer, suffered a spinal injury at the start of the war in 2014, at the age of 21. Since then, he has built a professional sports career and has won medals at the Warrior Games and the Invictus Games.
Valeriia Tereta, champion of the 2023 European Games, has qualified for the Paris Olympics.
Both athletes are outspoken against the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes under a neutral banner, stressing that international sports competitions are NEVER apolitical. Some athletes set to compete in the Olympics this summer openly support Putin’s regime and Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, while others shamelessly spread Russian propaganda.
For Viktor, the issue is clear: “Let the decision-makers allowing Russian athletes to compete come to Odesa or Zaporizhzhia—they’ll understand the reality of war.”
Valeriia also shared shocking comments from Belarusian athletes during their training sessions: “Why are you so worried about the war? There will be more Paralympic competitions after the war!” and “Why don’t you just give Kyiv to the Russians?”
As long as Russian bombs continue to rain down on Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes have no place at the Paris Olympics.
We will not let Russia turn #Paris2024 into the Blood Games.
#BloodGames2024 #Paris2024
