Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina has called on Russia to be banned from the Olympics, hitting out at the lack of ‘action’ being taken in her own sport. Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from a number of sports and events due to the invasion of Ukraine.
Tennis has taken a slightly more lenient approach, allowing Russian and Belarusian nationals to continue to compete on the WTA and ATP Tours, but under a neutral flag. For many – including Svitolina – this is not enough.
The latest question mark surrounding Russian sports stars is whether they will be allowed to compete at the Olympic Games in Paris next summer. If a ban is not put in place, a group of nations led by Ukraine have vowed to boycott the Games.
This would of course be a huge miss for the athletes of the Eastern European nation, who would miss out on the chance to compete at the pinnacle of sport. As a result, Svitolina has called on the International Olympic Committee to take action on Russia.
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