Some Ukrainian athletes are leaving the Olympics, an International Olympic Committee official said Thursday, as violent clashes continued in their home country.
The athletes are returning to Ukraine
despite the country’s Olympic team officials saying it is best for them
to stay and compete, IOC spokesman
Mark Adams
said.
He said the IOC respects every athlete’s decision to do what is best for them. He didn’t say which athletes were leaving.
Two
Ukrainian cross-country skiers, Kateryna Serdyuk and Marina Lisogor,
didn’t compete in Wednesday’s team sprint classic. An IOC statement said
Serdyuk pulled out with a back injury sustained during training, but
there were no details on why Lisogor withdrew.
Ukraine’s Olympic committee couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.
The country has 44 athletes at the Games and has won one bronze medal,
picked up by
Vita Semerenko
in the 7.5 kilometer sprint biathlon.
