Ukraine slams IOC over athlete Heraskevych suspension
Photo: Vladyslav Heraskevych wearing a helmet of remembrance (photo: NOC of Ukraine)
The International Olympic Committee disqualified Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevich, damaging its own reputation, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Youth and Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi.
Read also 'Ukraine stands with Heraskevych': NOC responds to Ukrainian athlete disqualification at Olympics
"The IOC has banned not the Ukrainian athlete, but its own reputation. Future generations will recall this as a moment of shame. He simply wanted to commemorate fellow athletes killed in war. There is nothing wrong with that under any rules or ethics," the Foreign Minister of Ukraine says
Russia is the biggest violator of sports rules
He adds that the IOC intimidated, disrespected, and even lectured Heraskevych and other Ukrainians on how they should remain silent about one of 130 conflicts in the world. Sybiha emphasizes that the IOC has systematically failed to oppose Russia, the biggest violator of international sports rules and the Olympic Charter.
"A country that started three invasions during the Olympic Truce in the past three decades, implemented the largest state-funded doping program, killed 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches, and damaged 800 sports facilities in Ukraine," he says.
Sybiha stresses that it is the Russians who should be banned, not the commemoration of their victims, since none of them are neutral
Olympic creed betrayal
"If the Olympic Creed says that "the most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part", then the IOC betrayed it completely by preventing Vladyslav Heraskevych from taking part and betrayed 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed by Russia," Sybiha says.
The story will continue
Bidnyi says that today, February 12, Geraskevich was not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games.
"After that, the IOC announced that it was regretfully revoking his accreditation. According to the IOC, the decision was made by the IBSF jury due to the helmet's alleged non-compliance with the rules. This decision looks like a mistake that they did not dare to correct. We will correct this mistake within the legal framework," his statement says.
The Minister stressed that the Ukrainian athlete had acted with dignity and added that this story will definitely have a sequel.
Recently, Andrii Sybiga called FIFA President Gianni Infantino a moral degenerate because he wants to bring Russia back into international football.
