Olympic Russian gymnast Maria Paseka spoke against the sanctions imposed on Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine. "I ...
Olympic Russian gymnast Maria Paseka spoke against the sanctions imposed on Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine.
"I join all the words of support for our dear Paralympians! The whole country is behind you now! Without exaggeration. The sanctions imposed on Russia have reached the point of absurdity," the Russian athlete posted on her Instagram according to Google Translate.
"Everyone understands this. Big sports and politics have always been separated, at all times. Moreover, sport united and was a symbol of reconciliation, especially during the Olympic Games," she continues.
"The IOC and the IPC have completely compromised themselves by succumbing to the general anti-Russian hysteria. IOC!!!...whose responsibility is to ensure neutrality for all participating countries. Alas and ah, we live in a new reality... But this only tempers us, Russian athletes, and makes us even stronger and more ready to win, stepping on the pedestals to the Anthem of Great Russia."
Russia's 72-member contingent was banned from participating in the Winter Paralympics in Beijing the day before the games began.
Earlier this month, The International Gymnastics Federation announced banning Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials, including judges from taking part in FIG competitions or FIG-sanctioned competitions - starting from March 7th until further notice.
In the comment section, Paseka added "Verified Burn out my subscribers, I expressed my opinion from the side of sports! Sport is not politics!!! I let you have your say! But each person remains with his own opinion, since in each country the news says what they need! I have said many times that we can learn the truth only when we are there!"
According to Gymnovosti, the 26 year old gymnast went live on Instagram last month to defend Russia and the Russian president Vladimir Putin explaining that she doesn't believe the Russian army kills civilians and that it's the Ukrainians who are killing civilians.
However, she acknowledged that she doesn't know much about the situation, clarifying that she doesn't want the war to happen or people to die, but she believes the news that Russia is defending itself.
Marina Ulyankina, Paseka's coach, posted on VK, a Russian online social media and social networking service, "We need to remind Watanabe - of Hiroshima and Nagasaki" in response to the FIG banning Russian and Belarussian gymnasts from competing.
In a now deleted video, that was posted on Telegram, Paseka reportedly defended gymnast Ivan Kuliak, who wore the Russian pro war symbol Z while competing at the 2022 Doha World Cup.
— SarahZ (@SarahZi1998) March 7, 2022
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