Sereda about the participation of Russians in the Olympics: How can those whose taxes are used to make rockets be allowed in?

Oleksii Sereda, a Ukrainian diver from Mykolaiv, believes that Russian athletes should be banned from participating in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

The 18-year-old Ukrainian athlete expressed this opinion in an interview with Ukrinform.

«I don't understand at all how a terrorist country can be allowed into the Olympic Games. All Russian athletes who are members of CSCA (the central sports club of the army under the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, — note) posted photos in military uniform with assault rifles on social media. You can't turn a blind eye to this. I constantly emphasize this in my social networks, in interviews with foreign journalists. I sincerely do not understand how it is possible to admit to the Olympics people who pay taxes, which are used to make rockets that fly around my country, my city, my house,» said Oleksii Sereda.

We remind that Oleksii Sereda is not the only athlete from Mykolaiv who publicly does not support the participation of Russians in the 2024 Olympics. Mykolaiv sportswoman, Olympic fencing champion Olga Kharlan shares the same opinion.

As you know, Mykolaiv saber Olha Harlan defeated Russian Anna Smirnova at the start of the World Fencing Championship in Milan (Italy). After the competition, the representative of Ukraine refused to shake the hand of the Russian woman, who, in her turn, filed a protest due to the lack of «show of respect» on the part of the Ukrainian woman. For this, the International Fencing Federation (FIE) disqualified Harlan from the World Championship. After the incident, the athlete recorded a video message in which she thanked Ukrainians for their support.

However, on July 28, the International Olympic Committee granted Olha Harlan automatic qualification for the 2024 Olympics. The IOC supports her and allocates a quota for the Olympics due to the fact that she did not have the opportunity to win it at the World Championships, and later the World Fencing Federation suspended her disqualification.

In addition, the president of the Fencing Federation of Ukraine Mykhailo Iliashev criticized and called for the resignation of the head of the technical directorate of the 2023 World Championship Dieter Lamer, who was at the center of the scandal with the disqualification of Olha Harlan.