Yaroslava once again condemned the admission of athletes from an aggressor state to the international arena.
Newly-minted Olympic champion in high jump Yaroslava Maguchikhcriticized the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris under a neutral flag.
At a press conference after winning the gold medal, the 22-year-old athlete from Dnipro said that she did not understand how athletes from the Russian Federation, which continues to wage a war of aggression against Ukraine, could be allowed to compete in competitions designed to bring peace.
“We all know perfectly well where these athletes are from. They did not say a word against war. They did not even speak out for peace. I think this is very unfortunate, because the Olympic Games are about peace. And in principle, all wars have always stopped for the period of the Games. But Russia did not stop. And during these Games there were massive attacks on Ukrainian cities. Therefore, I do not understand how terrorists can be allowed to compete in peace,” Maguchikh said.
For Maguchikh, this is the second Olympic medal in her career and her first gold. At the 2020 Games in Tokyo, she won bronze.
In addition to Yaroslava's gold, our country won two more medals in athletics at the 2024 Olympics. Irina Gerashchenko won bronze in the high jump, and Mikhail Kokhan won bronze in the hammer throw.
In total, Ukraine already has seven awards at the 2024 Olympics: two gold, two silver and three bronze. The “blue-yellows” occupy 18th place in the medal standings.
Ukraine is represented at the XXXIII Summer Olympics by 140 athletes who compete in 23 sports. The Paris Games will last until August 11.
Maguchikh's gold, Gerashchenko's bronze – results of the ninth day of the Olympics
