——————————– Kharlan has been one of the most forthright of the Ukrainian sports stars in speaking out against Russia since the invasion of her country in February 2022. She told AFP last year that “sports was another frontier” and sportspeople “were fighters” —she showed plenty of that in Paris.
Having summoned up the talent that has brought her multiple Olympic medals and four individual world titles to get across the line, she fell to her knees, kissing the piste.
“It’s really special,” said a beaming Kharlan. “It’s like infinity. It’s special for my country. It’s for the people of Ukraine, for defenders (soldiers), for athletes who couldn’t come here because they were killed by Russia.”
Kharlan had been targeting Olympic gold but said “the war ending was her dream” and explained the Paris medal felt different from her other four Olympic medals, including a team gold at the 2008 Beijing Games.
“It’s different,” she said. “We are showing to all the world that we can fight. We don’t give up and I showed it, somehow.”
As ever, Ukraine soaring high above degenerate Russia.
A bit rich for the IOC to say Olympics should be about sports not politics. The awarding of the games to winning cities is a well known cash grab for IOC officials.
Does it sound like she said Belarussia or is it just me?
9 comments
Nothing political about that statement, just paying respects to those who could not make it.
**I know olympics are funny about politics 😞
Watch her eyes. She just won an Olympic medal 🏅. But her eyes are sad, direct and defiant.
Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦
Sadly not all of us have Twitter X to read this.
Facts!
The original video is in Ukraine, so I don’t understand it very well, the following is an [English report](https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1147236/for-ukraine-olga-kharlan-bronze-medal) of Olga Kharlan
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Kharlan has been one of the most forthright of the Ukrainian sports stars in speaking out against Russia since the invasion of her country in February 2022. She told AFP last year that “sports was another frontier” and sportspeople “were fighters” —she showed plenty of that in Paris.
Having summoned up the talent that has brought her multiple Olympic medals and four individual world titles to get across the line, she fell to her knees, kissing the piste.
“It’s really special,” said a beaming Kharlan. “It’s like infinity. It’s special for my country. It’s for the people of Ukraine, for defenders (soldiers), for athletes who couldn’t come here because they were killed by Russia.”
Kharlan had been targeting Olympic gold but said “the war ending was her dream” and explained the Paris medal felt different from her other four Olympic medals, including a team gold at the 2008 Beijing Games.
“It’s different,” she said. “We are showing to all the world that we can fight. We don’t give up and I showed it, somehow.”
As ever, Ukraine soaring high above degenerate Russia.
A bit rich for the IOC to say Olympics should be about sports not politics. The awarding of the games to winning cities is a well known cash grab for IOC officials.
Does it sound like she said Belarussia or is it just me?
That is so metal.