Asked after his world title on Saturday in Doha (Qatar) about the presence of Russian athletes under a neutral banner this summer at the Olympics, the 21-year-old Ukrainian explained that he did not want their presence in international competitions.
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The Ukrainian Vladyslav Bukhov, crowned world champion in the 50m freestyle on Saturday February 17 at the Swimming World Championships in Doha, expressed his disagreement with the reintegration of Russian and Belarusian athletes into the Paris Games.
Winner ahead of the title holder, the Australian Cameron McEvoy, for his first world final, the 21-year-old swimmer explained after his race that he “just did the job”before describing the conditions in which he had to prepare for the competition. “It’s hard. We train while hearing Russian missiles around the swimming poolhe declared, his face serious. You never know if you’re going to stay alive or not, so it’s very difficult. For all Ukrainians.”
“Russia is dangerous, it must not be supported in the competition”
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 in January to re-enter international competitions under a neutral banner, on the condition that they had not actively supported the war in Ukraine. In December, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) also decided to admit them under a neutral banner to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, under strict conditions.
50 m freestyle (M): surprise Vladyslav Bukhov becomes world champion
The world champion in the 50m freestyle is none other than the Ukrainian Vladyslav Bukhov. The swimmer surprised everyone by surpassing the last two world champions. With a time of 21″44″, he is ahead of Cameron McEvoy who finished the race with a time of 21″45″ and Benjamin Proud who swam in 21″53″. – ()
In Doha, only four Belarusian swimmers are among the entrants, and no Russians. On 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.