The question of the participation of Russian athletes in sports competitions promises to be sensitive with the approach of the Summer Olympic Games which will take place in Paris in 2024. "
Russian athletes must oppose Putin's war and must say stop to this war
”, declared Friday February 10 with France Info the mayor of Kiev and former boxer, Vitali Klitschko.
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The first magistrate of the Ukrainian capital received Anne Hidalgo for the second time since the start of the war on Thursday.
"
As a sportsman and former sportsman, there are principles that are clear: if you don't respect the rules, you are disqualified
," he said.
"
It's the same with the Russians: they kill civilians and have to pay for it
," he added.
The former boxer was world champion in the heavyweight category.
After being a figure in the Maidan revolution in 2014, he was elected mayor of the Ukrainian capital the same year.
In Kiev, Anne Hidalgo also expressed again the wish that Russian sportsmen and women would not take part in the sports events of the Olympic Games, "
as long as the Russians continue to bombard you, to target your civilian populations, your infrastructures, to wage this war, as long as Russian soldiers occupy your territory
,” she said, addressing her counterpart.
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Vitali Klitschko also welcomed Anne Hidalgo's visit to the Ukrainian capital: “
Not everyone has the courage to come and visit Kiev.
[...] At any time, a bombardment or a drone attack can occur in our city
”.
IOC decision
Anne Hidalgo had already indicated on Tuesday morning on France Info that she was now opposed to the presence of Russian athletes at the Paris Games as long as the war led by Vladimir Putin continues in Ukraine.
At the end of January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the Russians be already banned from the next Olympics.
But nearly a year after Moscow began to invade Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has drawn up a roadmap to reintegrate them into world sport, saying "
no athlete should be banned from competition on the sole basis of his passport
”.
Despite repeated calls from Kiev to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Olympics, the IOC has thus declared to "
study
" the possibility of authorizing them to participate, under a neutral banner.
The French government is tempering on its side.
He announced to rely for the moment on the decision of the IOC.