European triple jump champion Marina Bekh-Romanchuk has publicly voiced support for excluding Russian athletes from international sports events through her social media channels. Her statements reflect a broader sentiment within the Ukrainian sports community, emphasizing a clear and vocal stance about Russia’s participation on the world stage.
Bekh-Romanchuk conveyed that the current moment places Ukrainian athletes at the center of a unified and purposeful effort. She described how the broader sports family, united in purpose, is mobilizing to prevent Russian participation at major competitions around the globe. This position echoes a growing consensus among athletes and officials who argue that Russian athletes should not compete while political actions that undermine international norms continue. In her view, the impact of such sanctions goes beyond a single event and signals a sustained commitment to accountability in international sport.
Her calls extend to the realm of legal and competitive venues, where she argues against allowing Russian athletes to compete as if the situation were ordinary. Bekh-Romanchuk stated that Russian participation in courts, stadiums, and other competitive settings would be inconsistent with the gravity of recent events and the expectations of international sport and global audiences. The emphasis remains on preventing any normalization of participation that could be interpreted as acceptance of the ongoing conflict.
Context for this stance includes a notable appeal from the International Olympic Committee issued in late February 2022. The IOC urged international sports federations to withhold participation by Russian and Belarusian athletes in competitions, a directive aimed at preserving the integrity of events and signaling collective responsibility. This guidance has shaped the participation landscape over subsequent years, influencing decisions across multiple sports and affecting how athletes from these nations are represented in global events.
Since the spring of 2022, many Russian athletes have sat out a range of competitions across most disciplines. In some instances, athletes have been permitted to compete under neutral status, a compromise that attempts to balance ongoing disciplinary actions with individual athletic pursuit. The policy has sparked ongoing debates about the boundaries between national affiliations and the universality of sport, raising questions about fairness, safety, and the purposes of global athletic governance.
Additionally, there has been notable activity among regional sports ministers and national bodies in response to the evolving situation. Reports indicated movements involving ministers from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland as part of a broader international discussion. These developments have fed into joint statements that call for continued restraint on Russian and Belarusian participation in the 2024 Olympic Games, reflecting a sustained push to uphold the principles of fair play and geopolitical accountability within the Olympic framework. The conversation continues to evolve as international organizations and national authorities weigh the implications for athletes, fans, and the traditions of global competition. [Citation: IOC directives 2022; regional statements from Baltic states and Poland]