the International Olympic Committee will triple its financial assistance to Ukrainian athletes

Thomas Bach has made it one of his priorities: to ensure that the Ukrainian blue and yellow flag can fly during the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 then in Cortina-Milan in 2026. Traveling to kyiv, the President of the International Committee Olympic Games (IOC) has announced that the institution will triple its direct financial assistance to Ukrainian athletes so that they can “raise high” their flag at the next Games. Established at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the fund will thus increase from 2.4 to 7.2 million euros.

Thomas Bach said that the Ukrainian Sergei Bubka, former star of the pole vault and president of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, continued on his side his coordination work to raise other funds. In addition, a conference of donors to the Olympic movement, including IOC partners and sponsors, will be organised. “during this year” to help rebuild Ukrainian sports infrastructure, added the IOC President.

Thomas Bach, speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, also pointed out that “the time had not come” to modify the position of the IOC regarding the recommendation to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from all international sporting events. It is in this context that the organizers of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, underway in London, have decided to exclude Russian and Belarusian players, including world number one, Russian Daniil Medvedev, and his compatriot Andrey Rublev, as well as the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (6th in the world and semi-finalist last year on the London lawn).

“We cannot allow a terrorist state to use sport to promote its political interests and propaganda,” welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky. Welcoming the announcements of the IOC, the Ukrainian President recalled that many Ukrainian athletes have joined the armed forces of their country, risking their lives: “Eighty-nine sportsmen and trainers perished in combat. Thirteen are captured.”