The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has rejected fierce criticism from Ukrainian officials, who accused it of promoting war after the IOC said Russians could potentially be given the opportunity to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak on January 30 said the presence of Russian athletes at the Paris Olympics would constitute giving the country "a platform to promote genocide." "[The] IOC is a promoter of war, murder, and destruction. The IOC watches with pleasure Russia destroying Ukraine and then offers Russia a platform to promote genocide and encourages their further killings. Obviously Russian money that buys Olympic hypocrisy doesn't have a smell of Ukrainian blood," he said on Twitter. The IOC rejected the accusation "in the strongest possible terms." A statement quoted by Reuters said the comments "cannot serve as a basis for any constructive discussion." To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
International Olympic Committee Rejects 'Defamatory' Criticism From Ukraine
Aleksandr Bolshunov and Artyom Maltsev of the Russian Olympic Committee cross-country skiing in February 2022.