Volodymyr Zelensky he said he was “proud” of the Ukrainian athletes participating at the Paris Olympics“despite the war”.
“We are proud of our team, of the men and women who, despite this war of aggression, managed to prepare for the Olympic Games and demonstrate the spirit of all Ukrainians,” the Ukrainian president said in a message on the X platform.
“They also have our will to conquer the Ukrainian character,” he added, declaring that Kiev is on the side of those who “respect life, human values and the principles of Olympism.”
143 Ukrainian athletes
The invasion of Ukraine claimed the lives of 487 Ukrainian athletes, most of whom were killed in battles with the armed forces at the front, Zelensky’s adviser Mykhailo Podoliak said via Telegram yesterday.
Today the Summer Olympic Games begin in Paris. Our people, our flag and our anthem stand with all who respect life, human values, the principles of Olympism and fair rules. We are proud of our team – the men and women who, despite this aggressive war, managed to… pic.twitter.com/Lw1tUSp3ep
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленский (@ZelenskyyUa) July 26, 2024
At this year’s Olympic Games, the Ukrainian Olympic team includes 143 athletes.
“It is the smallest team in the history of Ukraine’s participation in the Summer Olympics… And the whole world understands why. Because Russia is deliberately killing Ukrainians,” Podoliak said.
The Russian invasion severely disrupted the athletes’ training. Some left the country to continue training, while others remained despite the risk of Russian attacks that frequently hit sports facilities.
Source: RES-MPE