Ukrainian athletes slam IPC, IOC for 'choosing bloodshed and profits over principle' amid Russian invasion

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Ukrainian athletes slammed the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on Wednesday after it announced that athletes from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing this month as "neutral" participants. 

The Athletes of Ukraine and Global Athlete issued a joint statement calling out the IPC for its decision not to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, arguing that regardless of their "neutral label," their presence will allow those countries to use the Games "as state propaganda." 

INTERNATIONAL SKATING UNION BANS RUSSIAN ATHLETES AMID ATTACKS ON UKRAINE

"As Russian and Belarusian bombs rain down on the Ukrainian citizens, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) today issued another blow to every Ukrainian athlete and citizen by allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games," the statement read. 

"The IPC claims they are acting by forcing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag. But the Russian flag was already prohibited from the Paralympics as punishment for a decade of state-sponsored doping and data manipulation." 

Team Ukraine enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 4, 2022 in Beijing, China.  (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

It continued: "With or without a neutral label, Russian and Belarusian authorities will use their athletes’ participation in these Games as state propaganda."

The IPC announced earlier that Russia, whose athletes compete under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), and Belarus