Marcin Kamiński

We strongly condemn the recent decisions of World Gymnastics (the International Gymnastics Federation) and European Gymnastics to allow athletes from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus to participate in international competitions under their national symbols. Such steps contradict the fundamental principles of fairness, solidarity, and peace upon which international sport should be based. Nothing has changed: Russia continues its illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, killing civilians, destroying Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure every day. As a result of Russia’s war, 852 sports infrastructure facilities across Ukraine have already been destroyed or damaged, including sports schools, stadiums, and training facilities. Ukrainian athletes continue to train under constant danger, air raid alerts, shelling, and with limited access to sports infrastructure. Many athletes have been forced to leave their homes and have lost the opportunity to train properly. Against this backdrop, the return of representatives of the aggressor states under their national flags sends a false signal of an alleged “normalisation” of the situation and effectively ignores the war and the crimes that Russia continues to commit against the Ukrainian people. We call on the General Assembly, the international sports community, national federations, and all partners not to support this cynical decision of the Executive Committee and to remain committed to the principles of the Olympic Movement, international law, and human dignity. Sport must not become a platform for legitimising aggressor states and their propaganda.