Ukraine steps up efforts to exclude Russia from Olympics

By HANNA ARHIROVA
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine has stepped up efforts to lobby international sports leaders against Russian participation in next year’s Paris Olympics as indications mount that the games could see the biggest boycott since the Cold War. A meeting of the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee did not commit to a boycott of the Paris Games but approved plans to consult with and persuade sports officials around the world over the next two months. The International Olympic Committee is pushing to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics. They would take part without their national flags or anthems as “neutral athletes.”