The Ukrainian Vladyslav Bukhov was crowned world champion in the 50m freestyle on Saturday at the World Championships in Doha, where he expressed his disagreement with the reinstatement of Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Paris Olympics.
Bukhov won in 21 sec 45/100th, a hundredth ahead of the defending champion, Australian Cameron McEvoy.
The 21-year-old Ukrainian, who had set a new national record in the semi-final, was playing in the first world final of his career.
The British Benjamin Proud, world distance champion in 2022, took bronze (21 sec 53).
“I just did the job and I’m happy with the result.
It’s a good result, I’ll continue to train hard
,” he said, before describing the conditions in which he prepared for the competition.
"It's hard.
We train while hearing Russian missiles around the swimming pool
,” he declared with a serious face.
“You never know if you're going to stay alive or not, so it's very difficult.
For all Ukrainians.”
Asked whether the Russians should participate in the Paris Olympics in five months, he replied: "Absolutely not
.
"
“I want to say that Russia is dangerous and should not be supported in the competition.”
In swimming, as in several other sports, Russian and Belarusian athletes were authorized last January to re-enter international competitions under a neutral banner, on the condition that they had not actively supported the war in Ukraine.
Last December, the International Olympic Committee also decided to admit them under a neutral banner to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, under strict conditions.
In Doha, only four Belarusian swimmers are among the entrants and no Russian is entered in the competition.
This Saturday, Belarusian Anastasiya Shkurdai won the bronze medal in the 200m backstroke.
In accordance with World Aquatics rules, she was not permitted to speak to the media.
Journalists also do not have access to athletes from the two countries, who are prohibited from passing through the mixed zone after their races.