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Sviatlana Sakhanenka, the two-time Paralympic champion from Belarus, said she thought it was unfair for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to ban Belarusian and Russian athletes from the Paralympic Games.
The skier won gold in 2018 at the Pyeongchang Games in the 15-kilometer free visually impaired and the 1.5-kilometer sprint classical visually impaired and a bronze in the 6-kilometer visually impaired. While she thought she was going to be able to compete in the upcoming games, the IPC reversed course and barred Russian and Belarusian athletes from the games.
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Sviatlana Sakhanenka of Belarus celebrates with her guide Raman Yashchanka after winning the Cross-Country Skiing - W 1.5km Sprint Classic Final, Visually Impaired on day five of the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Games on March 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
"As for me, the decision of IPC is not understandable and now I realize that I am absolutely defenseless as an athlete," Sakhanenka told Sky Sports through a translator. "You know I have been training for four years and we actually follow the rules of the IPC and its handbook and its code of ethics.
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"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."
Russian and Belarusian athletes have been either barred from competition or are being forced to compete under neutral flags due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
"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," she said.
Gold medalist Sviatlana Sakhanenka (R) of Belarus celebrate with her guide Raman Yashchanka after the Women's 15km Free, Visually Impaired Cross Country event at Alpensia Biathlon Centre during day three of the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Games on March 12, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
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"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 IPC announced Thursday that Russian and Belarusian athletes will no longer be allowed to participate as protests from other nations are "jeopardizing the viability" of the Games.
The IPC issued a news release just one day after confirming that athletes from Russia, who compete under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), and Belarus would be allowed to compete but not under their flag and would also not be included in the official medal table.
Sviatlana Sakhanenka of Belarus celebrates after winning the Cross-Country Skiing - W 1.5km Sprint Classic Final, Visually Impaired on day five of the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Games on March 14, 2018, in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
"Multiple National Paralympic Committees (NPCs), teams and athletes now threatening not to compete, jeopardizing the viability of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games," the news release read. "Situation in the athlete villages is escalating and ensuring the safety of athletes has become untenable."
Russia condemned the IPC's decision on Thursday, calling it a "disgrace."
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"The situation is monstrous, of course. This is a disgrace for the International Paralympic Committee," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, via Reuters. "We strongly condemn the International Paralympic Committee for this decision."
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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