"For me the decision of the IPC is not understandable and now I realise that I am absolutely defenceless as an athlete. I have been training for four years and we actually follow the rules of the IPC" - Belarusian skiing champion Sviatlana Sakhanenka
Thursday 3 March 2022 18:33, UK
A double Paralympic champion has criticised the International Paralympic Committee's decision to ban Russia and Belarus from the Beijing 2022 games and suggested athletes should not be punished.
Sviatlana Sakhanenka, a visually impaired Belarusian champion in cross-country skiing and biathlon, spoke exclusively to Sky Sports News via a translator called Elena Gvai - who is also a member of the Belarus delegation - from inside the Athletes Village in Beijing.
Sakhanenka confirmed that she and the other 11 athletes on the Belarus team have been instructed by their National Paralympic Committee to return home on Friday, after IPC president Andrew Parsons performed a U-turn and banned athletes from Russia and Belarus on Thursday.
It is still unclear, though, whether the Russian or Belarus Committee's intend to appeal the IPC's decision. A legal loophole in the IPC Constitution and Handbook would allow an appeal.
Despite huge global pressure from sportsmen, women and federations to bar athletes representing Belarus and Russia in all sports, Sakhanenka believes the decision by the IPC was wrong.
Via her translator, she said: "As for me, the decision of IPC is not understandable and now I realise that I am absolutely defenceless as an athlete.
"You know I have been training for four years and we actually follow the rules of the IPC and it's handbook and it's code of ethics.
"And we actually think that depriving us of the possibility to compete according to some political reasons, some political situation is not in compliance with the code of ethics of the IPC handbook."
Sakhanenka also suggested she felt powerless in the face of events and highlighted that athletes are unable to change political events.
She added: "We just do our own job, we are just training and competing and we of course are very much disappointed of the situation because all this politics actually interferes with our job.
"If we really could change this political situation, if we just have this task, we will do our best, but unfortunately nothing depends on us actually. This is a big stress for all the athletes and we are just afraid of our future."
The 32-year old triple Paralympic Medallist who won two golds and a bronze at the 2018 Pyeongchang Paralympics also expressed confusion that Belarus had been expelled from the Games.
She added: "You know, we all feel disappointed and defenceless actually not only me, but also other members of our team.
"You know all the teams who are now in this Paralympic Village, we are all equal, we all member of International Paralympic Committee and it is a little bit strange that we are absolutely defenceless and that so many attentions are made for just our team.
"I think that the Paralympic Games is the main start in the biography of every athlete and the only place where we should show some arguments is on the field of play."
