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Oleksandr Usyk calls on IOC not to allow Russians to compete at Paris Olympics

Ukrainian world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk believes that any medals that Russian athletes win at the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris would be “medals of blood, death, tears.”

Usyk’s statement came in response to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) attempts to facilitate the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes at the upcoming Games. Russian and Belarusian athletes remain barred from competing in international sport due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

However, the IOC is attempting to “explore a pathway” to allow the excluded athletes to compete as neutral competitors, prompting Ukraine’s government, along with several European allies, to threaten a boycott of the event.