Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be allowed to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris as long as they tacitly support the war in Ukraine. At the same time, their performance in a neutral status will not deprive fans of understanding which countries the athletes represent.

This categorical opinion was expressed in an interview with AP News by the legendary hockey goalkeeper Dominik Hašek. The Olympic champion and friend of Ukraine called the decision to allow the Russian and Belarusian national teams to participate in the Games in Paris "the last chance to stop the Russians".

"I am convinced that we all, the entire democratic world, must do everything possible to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the 2024 Games in the current circumstances. By participating in the Olympics, they would represent an aggressive, imperialist war and the crimes and murders associated with it. Their admission is an incredible advertisement for Russia's war, which is costing many lives. It is imperative that we stop it. Sports outside politics? This is fine as long as the state does not engage in murder and athletes do not become a propaganda tool for it," Hašek said.

Earlier, Hašek visited Kharkiv and Kyiv and recorded a new video message to Ukrainians, wishing them to "drive away Russian sh*t". He also called Russian hockey player and founder of the Putin Team movement Alexander Ovechkin a coward for remaining silent about the war in Ukraine.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, two-time Olympic champion Alexander Kozhevnikov called Dominik Hašek a madman for supporting Ukraine in the war. And Vyacheslav Fetisov demanded that the legendary Czech return to Russia all the money he earned during his time at Spartak Moscow.

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