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The performance of Ukrainian athletes at the Olympic Games in Paris in the midst of the ongoing third year of the Russian war will become a symbol of the memory of Ukrainians killed by Russia. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a video meeting with the athletes who will represent Ukraine at the XXXIII Summer Olympic Games in Paris, the Gaze reports.
‘The fact that you, our Ukrainian national team, are at the Olympics today is already a victory for Ukraine. I believe that you are overcoming this test of our morality, identity and Ukraine as a whole with dignity,’ the President of Ukraine said.
He thanked the coaching staff and management of the national Olympic team for their constant support and training of the athletes.
‘This is a great victory for the entire European community, for the whole world, that Ukraine does not give up, it is also fighting at the Olympics. It is very important that we keep our national team,’ Volodymyr Zelenskyy added.
In an interview with AFP, the head of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Matviy Bidnyi, stressed that Ukrainian athletes have proudly overcome the incredible difficulties caused by the war and continue to demonstrate their will to win.
“Ukrainian athletes are forced to train under constant shelling and power cuts. Despite these hardships, our athletes continue to persevere and achieve victories. Every Ukrainian athlete at the Olympic Games is a hero and already a winner,” said Matviy Bidnyi.
The head of the Ministry of Youth and Sports also highlighted the significant reduction in the number of Russian athletes at this year’s Olympic Games compared to the previous ones in Tokyo.
“There were 330 Russian athletes in Tokyo, but this year there are only 15 participants, competing without a state, a flag, or an anthem,” he stated.
Mr. Bidnyi emphasized that each medal won by a Ukrainian athlete is not just a personal triumph but a symbol of the unbreakable spirit of Ukraine.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, 489 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed, and 10 have gone missing, including many world and European champions.
The previous evening, the opening ceremony of the XXXIII Summer Olympic Games, which cost the French capital $9 billion, took place in the centre of Paris. The ceremony began with a unique parade on the water of teams from 206 participating countries that sailed in 85 boats down the Seine.
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