Russia increasingly isolated in sport as Ukraine stars vow to fight for country

Russia’s isolation from top-level international sport continued on Tuesday, as Ukrainian sporting figures vowed to fight for their country.

As governing bodies acted following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sergiy Stakhovsky, Vasily Lomachenko and Oleksandyr Usyk made their positions clear.

Former tennis player Stakhovsky, whose most famous result was beating Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2013, is among the athletes who have travelled to Ukraine to join the resistance effort.

He told BBC Radio Four: “I know how to use the gun. If I’ll have to, I’ll have to. I’m still not sure how I’ve done it. I know that it’s extremely hard on my wife. My kids don’t know that I’m here. They don’t understand war. They’re too little to understand what’s going on.”

Boxer Lomachenko, a former three-weight world champion, has also joined the territorial forces, while WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight world champion Usyk has been pictured holding a weapon.

All athletes, support personnel and officials from Russia and Belarus – which is assisting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – are barred from World Athletics Series events including this summer’s World Championships in Eugene.

Track and field follows football in issuing a ban, with FIFA and UEFA announcing on Monday that all Russian national teams and clubs would be indefinitely barred from their competitions.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said: “Anyone who knows me will understand that imposing sanctions on athletes because of the actions of their government goes against the grain.

“I have railed against the practice of politicians targeting athletes and sport to make political points when other sectors continue about their business.

Russian athletes have been forced to qualify as Authorised Neutral Athletes (ANAs) since the national federation was suspended over serious doping offences in 2015, but sportspeople from the country who had received ANA status for 2022 will now be banned.

Britain’s athletics head coach Christian Malcolm supported the World Athletics decision and said: “This is far, far bigger than sport. And it’s great to see that a lot of people around the world are coming together to be able to support those who are in this vulnerable situation.”

The International Paralympic Committee is meeting on Wednesday to discuss whether to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Beijing Winter Games which officially open on Friday.

The IOC’s executive board issued a recommendation to international sports federations and event organisers on Monday to ban athletes and officials from those countries from their events “wherever possible” but it is unclear what the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting will be, with the IPC constitution stating the organisation must be politically neutral.

The IPC did confirm that a full Ukraine team of 20 athletes and nine guides would be travelling to China for the Games.

Tennis’ governing bodies will allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete under a neutral flag but both countries have been banned from international competition, including the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.

The Kremlin Cup, a joint ATP and WTA tournament due to be held in October, has also been suspended.

“The safety of the tennis community is our most immediate collective priority,” a joint statement read.

“The international governing bodies of tennis stand united in our condemnation of Russia’s actions.”

The international cycling union, the UCI, announced on Tuesday that all events due to take place in Russia or Belarus in 2022 have been withdrawn from the calendar, while all Russian and Belarusian teams will be barred from racing.

Individual cyclists from those countries, though, will be allowed to carry on competing providing they ride for a team based outside Russia or Belarus and no reference to either country is displayed.

The International Rugby League and European Rugby League have acted on the IOC advice and announced that Russian national teams were banned from their events.

A joint statement from the governing bodies read: “While the brunt of the Russian state’s indefensible actions are being borne by innocent Ukrainian civilians, both organisations also recognise the difficult position for the many Russian citizens who do not support the war.”

British Swimming has said it will not send a team to this year’s World Short Course Championships or to the 2024 European Championships, with both due to be held in the Russian city of Kazan.

“This decision is taken out of solidarity with the people and athletes of Ukraine and with the safety of our athletes, staff and officials at the forefront of our minds,” a statement from the national governing body read.

The IOC recommended last week that international sports federations – such as swimming’s world governing body FINA – should relocate or cancel any events due to be held in Russia.

World Triathlon, meanwhile, has banned all Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from its events.

Economic sanctions are also set to have an impact on sport.

Alisher Usmanov, who has sponsorship links to Everton, has had his assets frozen as part of measures taken by the European Union.

The Uzbek-born billionaire’s USM Holdings sponsors Everton’s training ground, with an initial five-year deal announced in 2017, and has an option on naming rights for their new stadium – a deal worth £30million to the Merseyside club.

Bryant also spoke about Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

“I think he’s terrified of being sanctioned. My anxiety is that we are taking too long about these things,” Bryant said.