Ukraine competitors celebrate their arrival at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup start line
On Thursday, there is a flurry of activity in the shared athlete area that the Ukraine canoe sprint team is using as their home base in advance of the ICF canoe sprint world cup that will take place this weekend in Racice.
On a little national flag that is affixed to the boat rack, the inscription “Stop War” is written in black marker. Athletes converse in a manner that is both apprehensive and eager, and they are continuously accosted by other athletes who have stopped by to offer their best wishes.
At most athletic events, making political remarks is considered to be inappropriate. However, when it comes to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the athletic community all across the world shares the same repulsion that practically everyone else does. There is not going to be a request made to the team to take down the flag.
Pavlo Altukhov, an Olympian competing in Tokyo 2020, stated on Thursday that “it’s hard, but we are strong, we are Ukrainian, and we are extremely courageous, therefore we must be tough to compete like a soldier.” He said this in response to a question about how challenging the competition will be.
Even before Altukhov takes his position on the starting line, he will have won a great victory by defying incredible odds and sending a strong message to the world that war cannot quiet a proud people. This will have occurred even before Altukhov has taken his place on the starting line.
This next weekend, he will be competing as part of a squad of roughly 30 people. They have been living out of suitcases ever since the conflict broke out in their own country, and they have been relying on the charity of the worldwide kayaking family to keep themselves alive.
The Romanian Canoe Federation has been a pioneer in this regard, having welcomed the canoe sprint squad from Ukraine with open arms and made its facilities available to them
“It became really difficult to prepare for competition at this difficult period in Ukraine, with this Russian assault,” Altukhov said. “During this difficult moment in Ukraine.”
“We would like to express our gratitude to the Romanian Canoe Federation for the support they have given us. We have not been back to our house since February, when all of this began. My family and the families of the other members of our team are still over there in Ukraine.
“It’s difficult because we always think about the war, and we always chat with our families. It’s difficult because it’s hard. But despite everything, we are making an effort to be strong; we made an effort to be here and compete because we wanted to express our gratitude to everyone since this is something that is extremely important to us.
Members of the Ukraine squad have won medals at both the global and Olympic levels. Because of the widespread Covid epidemic, traveling was difficult both to the Tokyo Olympics and to the ICF world championships held in the previous year.
However, this voyage will be nothing compared to the one that Ukraine will take this year. And no one will be surprised in the least if they are unsuccessful this coming weekend. The only thing that matters to Pavlo Altukhov and his comrades is getting their point through.
“There is no question that I am concerned for my family. But everything is well for the time being, and I have no problem calling them every day,” Altukhov remarked.
“I beg you to assist the Ukraine in winning this war.”
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