Yevhen Malyshev, a 19-year-old Ukranian, was killed in action on Tuesday while fighting for the Ukrainian military. The International Biathlon Union confirmed the death of Yevhen Malyshev, a former Ukrainian biathletes, who died this week serving in the Ukrainian military. The Executive Board condemns the Russian attacks on Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine is causing tension in the international sports world. Following Malyshev's death, the organizations Athletes of Ukraine and Global Athlete released a joint statement condemning the ongoing Paralympic Games for allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to continue competing.
The statement says that sport is politics. Putin has used the Olympic and Paralympic Games to advance his domestic and international agendas.
The Paralympic Games in Beijing have drawn widespread criticism for allowing Russian athletes to compete, as the “neutral” label doesn’t actually mean much of anything. As of yesterday the International Paralympic Committee caved to the mounting protests and announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes will no longer be eligible to compete in the Games. Seventy-one Russian athletes were sent home from China with the reversal of the IPC’s initial decision. Several other teams and athletes had threatened to withdraw from the competition if the Russians were able to continue participating, and tensions were reportedly high in the Olympic Village.
The Russian teams have been suspended from participating in soccer events by the two organizations. Russia's Grand Prix contract has been terminated by Formula One. The effects of sportswashing, the act of using sports to improve a nation's image, are being deliberately avoided by sporting organizations throughout the world, which can be a significant changemaker in public perception.
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