The first Olympian to die in the war in Ukraine has been announced. The weightlifter Oleksandr Pielieshenko, who finished fourth in the 85kg light-heavyweight category at the Rio Games in 2016, was killed defending his country on Sunday.
Another Ukrainian Olympian, Vladyslav Heraskevych, said that around 450 Ukrainians related to professional sports had now died in the war. These people should be developing sports in our country and living their lives, but now they are being killed.
At the same time Russian athletes who support the war are now competing in international sports. I can't understand how that is possible. This is madness.
The death of Pielieshenko will raise further questions over the International Olympic Committee's decision to allow some Russians to compete as neutral athletes at this summer's Paris Olympics despite Ukraine's opposition.
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