Ukraine pushes for continued Russian Olympic exclusion

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine has renewed its push to keep Russian athletes out of the Olympics ahead of an International Olympic Committee board meeting next week which is expected to lay out the framework for their return to many international sports events. Ukraine’s sports minister Vadym Guttsait is sharply critical of the IOC’s push to reintegrate Russia and its ally Belarus into world sports. He says any return would highlight the inequalities caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The IOC is expected to set out criteria for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete next week as qualifying for the Paris Olympics ramps up.