IOC Denounces ‘Defamatory Statements’ from Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Podolyak

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has firmly rejected the “defamatory statements” made by Mykhaylo Podolyak, an aide to the Ukrainian president.

Podolyak had criticized the IOC, accusing it of being a “promoter of war, murder, and destruction” in response to the committee’s consideration of allowing Russian athletes to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games.

In a statement to CNN on Tuesday, an IOC spokesperson said, “The IOC rejects in the strongest possible terms this and other defamatory statements. They cannot serve as a basis for any constructive discussion. Therefore, the IOC will not further comment on them.”

The IOC has suggested that Russian and Belarusian athletes might be permitted to compete as “neutral athletes,” not representing their countries or any related organizations. This approach mirrors practices in certain professional leagues in Europe, the United States, and Canada, and in some individual professional sports.

Podolyak had expressed his outrage on Twitter, stating, “The IOC watches with pleasure RF destroying [Ukraine] & then offers [Russia] a platform to promote genocide & encourages their further killings. Obviously [Russian]-money that buys Olympic hypocrisy doesn’t have a smell of [Ukrainian] blood. Right, Mr. Bach.”

In his nightly address on Saturday, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, revealed that he had sent a letter to the presidents of International Sports Federations, urging them to reconsider the IOC’s decision to allow Russian athletes back into international competitions.

Zelensky argued that the presence of Russian athletes at these events could lead to them justifying Russia’s aggression and promoting symbols of terror. He labeled the IOC’s decision as “an unprincipled flexibility.”