Athletes risk becoming "Russian propaganda" after IOC decision on Paris Games, Ukrainian sportsman says

LA PLAGNE, France : Olympic competitors risk being used as "Russian propaganda" after the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals at the Paris Games, Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych said on Friday.

"I don't really understand why the IOC are acting like they are blind or something like that," Heraskevych told Reuters in a video call.

"I am fully okay if they compete but I am not okay if they use their achievements and their participation in Russian propaganda. Because if they use it, then we have more victims in this war.

"It's basically they are saying that they're okay if international sport will be used in Russian propaganda. That's what I feel now."

Heraskevych used his own moment in the spotlight at last year's Beijing Winter Olympics to hold up a paper sign reading "No War in Ukraine" to a television camera in between runs at the skeleton event.

Russian and Belarusian athletes were initially banned from competing internationally following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.

However, the IOC announced on Friday that athletes who qualified in their sport would be able to participate as neutrals without flags, emblems or anthems in next year's Olympics.

"Let's pretend that I'm a German or Austrian athlete and I'm competing and I won a medal and Russian guy (was) second," Heraskevych said. "IOC make a photo and then Russian propaganda use this photo in some advertising. I don't want to be used in Russian propaganda. IOC should guarantee me this because that's how it works now.

"If we give this opportunity to use international sport as Russian propaganda... then more people (are) going on the front line. And more innocent people (are)