One of the Belarusian heroes of the 2018 Winter Paralympics has lamented the decision to ban him from competing this time around in Beijing.
Yury Holub, a visually impaired athlete, won gold, two silvers, and a bronze over four cross-country skiing and biathlon events in Pyeongchang four years ago.
The 25-year-old was due to compete again in China, albeit under a neutral banner after the International Paralympic Committee [IPC] ruled that no competitors from Russia or Belarus could represent their own countries.
However, that decision received scathing criticism and on Thursday, IPC President Andrew Parsons announced the organisation had performed a u-turn, issuing a blanket ban on athletes from both nations.
Speaking to ITV news through an interpreter, Holub, who also won two gold medals at last year's World Para Snow Sports Championships in Lillehammer, argued it was wrong to punish athletes who weren't responsible for the conflict.
"I’m disappointed and I’m really at a loss because yesterday there was a decision that we are allowed to compete as neutral athletes and actually we were ready to compete and then this decision was changed so we are really at a loss," he explained.
"You know, I’m not very experienced in different political affairs but I would like to say that I am against the war because there is nothing good in the war.
"But I really hoped that, well, sport is something which unites people and we hoped that perhaps at these Games, the participation of different athletes will make the peace a little bit nearer to us but unfortunately it didn’t happen."
Holub also pleaded for support from fellow compatriots.
"We hope that we will be understood and supported at home because actually we are ready to compete and participate for the medals and it’s not our fault, so we hope that we will be supported at home."
However, the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes has been widely supported by member nations and, on Thursday, Richard Whitehead, a Summer Paralympic gold medalist with Team GB, made harrowing allegations about the conduct towards Ukrainian competitors.
"I've heard lots of messages of indoctrination within the Russian community and messages that the Russian athletes are sending Ukraine athletes about bombing their homes," he told Good Morning Britain.
"And I feel that to take the Russians and Belarus athletes straight out of the village and send them home is the right decision."
