The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine refused to take money from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes. The head of the organization, Vadim Gutzeit, announced this on January 2.
“When they were admitted to international competitions, I proposed to the executive committee that if they are admitted, then we cannot take funds from the IOC. It's going to be kind of wild. It will be a matter of bidding. And everyone supported me,” he told Tribuna.com.
Gutzeit noted that the training of Ukrainian athletes is provided by the country's government and the Ministry of Finance.
Earlier, on December 23, IOC head Thomas Bach called on Kyiv not to punish athletes by boycotting the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. He pointed out that the decision to admit Russian and Belarusian athletes did not fully satisfy either side of the conflict. In this regard, Bach believes that the IOC has found a balanced solution.
On December 9, Verkhovna Rada deputy Zhan Belenyuk also said that the boycott has no practical meaning. Athletes will only lose the opportunity to win.
On December 8, the IOC allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris under strict conditions – the same as when qualifying for them. Athletes will be prohibited from competing in team disciplines, actively supporting the special operation to protect Donbass, entering into contracts with the Armed Forces and national security agencies of the Russian Federation, and demonstrating any national symbols. The same requirements apply to support staff.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, commenting on this information, said that Russian athletes themselves must decide whether they will participate in the upcoming Olympic Games. In turn, the National Olympic Committee of Belarus called the IOC decision discriminatory.
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