As news that athletes from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to compete in the 2022 Winter Paralympics is announced, claims that Russian athletes have been taunting their Ukrainian rivals have also surfaced.
Stark messages containing threats of "bombing their families back home", have been seen by a British gold medal-winner.
Richard Whitehead, who lives in Nottingham, told ITV's Good Morning Britain (GMB) that he'd seen several messages sent to competitors whose country is currently being torn apart by war.
The 45-year-old two-time sprinting gold medallist runs with prosthetic legs and trains at Loughborough University.
He was being interviewed on the ITV breakfast show this morning, (Thursday, March 3), for his reaction to the International Paralympic Committee's belated decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the winter games, which start in Beijing, China, tomorrow, reports Leicestershire Live.
Whitehead said he welcomed the IPC's U-turn, after it had initially said it would not be sending them home but instead would allow them to take part under a neutral flag.
Responding to a question about it being a shame that the Russian and Belarusian athletes would no longer have a platform to showcase their talents when they face discrimination for being disabled in their home countries, he replied: "When we talk about the power of sport, it definitely gives you a platform for the greater good.
"But I've heard lots of messages of indoctrination within the Russian community and messages the Russian athletes are sending the Ukrainian athletes about bombing their homes.
"So, I feel to take the Russians and Belarus athletes straight out of the village and send them home is the right decision."
Whitehead said that while being "passionate about sport" he was also a humanitarian.
"We need to promote sport in the right means, and on a level playing field, and it's really important that we galvanise as a community and, with our platforms, really stand up for the greater good."
Presenter Susanna Reid then picked him up on his comment about the cruel messages being sent to the Ukrainian paralympians by their Russian counterparts.
"Yes, I've seen those," he replied. "They include threats of bombing their families back at home and that's just terrible.
"It's disgusting behaviour and just shows the Russian and Belarus athletes don't actually think there's a war going on at home and how that affects not just the athletes but the Ukrainian community.
He added: "We need to galvanise as athletes and promote that this war needs to stop - and that sport is just a small part of what we do."
The IPC reversed its announcement of yesterday, (Wednesday, March 2), that athletes from the two countries involved in the invasion of Ukraine would be allowed to take part in the games after widespread criticism and the threat of a boycott.
In a statement this morning, IPC president Andrew Parsons said: "In taking our decision yesterday, we were looking at the long-term health and survival of the Paralympic Movement.
"We are fiercely proud of the principles and values that have made the movement what it is today.
"However, what is clear is that the rapidly escalating situation has now put us in a unique and impossible position so close to the start of the Games. Yesterday we said we would continue to listen, and that is what we are doing."
Mr Parsons said 83 athletes would now be unable to compete, but the decision was taken because of the threat of widespread withdrawals from other countries as well as concerns about safety.
The situation in the athletes' village, he added, had "become untenable".
In an apology to the Russian and Belarus teams, he said: "To the para athletes from the impacted countries, we are very sorry that you are affected by the decisions your governments took last week in breaching the Olympic Truce. You are victims of your governments’ actions.
"I hope and pray that we can get back to a situation when the talk and focus is fully on the power of sport to transform the lives of persons with disabilities, and the best of humanity."
The move follows similar decisions taken under heavy pressure by international sporting bodies such as FIFA and Uefa to exclude Russian and Belarus teams from their competitions.
To sign up for the Nottinghamshire Live newsletter click here
