KYIV – Many high-profile Ukrainians had called for all Russian and Belarusian athletes to be banned from this year’s Olympic Games, including tennis star Elina Svitolina and former boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
Journalist Artem Khudolieiev was another Ukrainian who felt passionately that Russian and Belarusian athletes shouldn’t be allowed to compete at the Paris Olympics for having openly supported the war in Ukraine.
As a result, he started checking the social media output of Russian and Belarusian athletes as well as watching videos of various events held in the two countries. Then he shared what he had discovered with various sporting and government bodies.
“From the very beginning, I had an understanding of why I was doing this,” Khudolieiev told CNN.
Svitlana Vlasova/CNN
Artem Khudolieiev sent dozens of emails to prevent athletes who supported Russia’s war against Ukraine from participating in the 2024 Olympics.
“I believe that everyone who can do something should do it. Evil must be punished. And if there are any opportunities to punish it, then it should be done.”
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian and Belarusian athletes were suspended from almost all elite sporting competitions.
Source: CNN
