Ukraine calls for ban of Russian ‘neutral’ athletes from participating in World Canoe Slalom Championships
The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine (NOC), and the Ukrainian Canoe Federation have appealed to the leadership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Canoe Federation to prevent athletes from Russia from participating in the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, which will be held , in Penrity, Australia, from September 29 to October 4, 2025.
“The basis for the appeal was the International Canoe Federation’s decision to allow Russian athletes to compete, despite evidence of their involvement in propaganda events or affiliation with Russian security forces,” the ministry said.
Among the announced participants are Alsu Minazova, who participated in public events with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the head of the Republic of Bashkortostan (Russia), Radiy Khabirov; and Pavel Kotov and Alexander Kharlamtsev, who are members of the CSKA sports club, which is directly linked to the Russian army and military aggression against Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side notes that this violates IOC recommendations, as neutral status cannot be granted to athletes who are associated with the military or who publicly support aggression.
