War, Anger Cloud Ukrainian Athletes’ Path To Olympics

March 2, 2023 4:23 am

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The path to the 2024 Paris Olympics for Ukrainian athletes is clouded by war, anger and pain. Russian bombardments have wrecked training venues. Air raids disrupt training sessions. Athletes have lost family members and friends. Or they worry that they will. Traveling to international competitions has become arduous because Russia’s invasion has closed the country’s airspace. A Ukrainian diver proudly bears the name of his late grandfather who died in the bombarded Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. Ukraine’s Olympic medal-winning artistic swimmers say war’s terrors are taking a mental toll on them.