At the Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina (Tesserete), 18-year-old Ukrainian skier Sofia Shkatula could not hold back her tears after the competition, which included athletes from Russia and Belarus.
She shared that the difficulties in focusing on the competition are related to the destruction of her home in the Sumy region during the war. However, the athlete noted that her feelings are not directed against specific opponents.
Shkatula finished the sprint qualification in 64th place and did not advance to the finals.
According to the rules of the International Olympic Committee, representatives from Russia and Belarus participate in the tournament under a neutral flag. At the same time, Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladislav Geraskevich was denied the use of a helmet with symbols in memory of fallen athletes, highlighting the ongoing tension at the Olympics.
