BEIJING (AP) 鈥� The Ukrainian Olympic team has followed the lead of skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych in calling for peace.
Heraskevych after completing a run in the skeleton competition on Friday at the Beijing Games. The message came against the backdrop of a Russian military build-up near the country鈥檚 border with Ukraine.
鈥淭he Olympic Team of Ukraine ... expresses a unanimous call for peace together with (our) native country,鈥� the Ukrainian Olympic Committee wrote on social media. 鈥淏eing thousands of kilometers away from the Motherland, mentally we are with our families and friends.鈥�
The statement doesn鈥檛 mention Russia or the military situation.
The International Olympic Committee bans most protest gestures at the Games. But the Olympic body isn鈥檛 taking action against Heraskevych because 鈥溾�楴o war鈥� is a message we can all relate to,鈥� said Christophe Dubi, the executive director of the Olympic Games.
That doesn鈥檛 mean the IOC wants other athletes to join in, however.
鈥淲e all want peace, clearly,鈥� IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Sunday. 鈥淎thletes themselves have agreed that the field of play and the podium is not the place for any kind of statement because we need to remain politically neutral ... The message was understood. It (the sign) wasn鈥檛 repeated and I think we can move on.鈥�
No Ukrainian athletes have so far followed Heraskevych鈥檚 lead by protesting in competition.
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The Associated Press
