Russian State Duma deputy Dmitry Svishchev believes that Ukraine is trying to put pressure on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by refusing to compete with the Russians.
“The International Olympic Committee does not welcome the boycott of the competitions, but Ukraine does not say that it will boycott the competitions. They say they won’t participate. That’s a huge number. Of course, this is an attempt to put pressure on the IOC and international sports organizations. But this should be punished by sports organizations. “If they act together with Ukraine today, there may be a general decision tomorrow,” Svishchev told socialbites.ca.
Recall that at the end of February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made a call to international sports federations and recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes not be allowed to participate in any competitions.
State Duma deputy Irina Rodnina, previously a three-time Olympic champion in pair skating commented The news of the Ministry of Sports of Ukraine banning its athletes from competing with the Russians.