Russia's war has killed 462 Ukrainian athletes and coaches. How DARE the Olympics let in Vladimir Putin's pariah state, writes IAN HERBERT

He was calved connected nan aforesaid time arsenic our youngest and could person been my child, aliases yours. A young man of abundant optimism who recovered a calling successful sport, pursued it astir athletics venues crossed eastbound Europe and, had events taken a different course, would person been stepping into nan Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony arsenic a competitor, connected Friday.

He was Volodymyr Androshchuk, from Suslivtsi, a colony of wheat, soya and barley fields successful occidental Ukraine, and he seemed destined for nan cultivation life until 1 of his inferior schoolteachers was struck by his velocity and pointed him successful nan guidance of athletics nine successful nan adjacent municipality of Letychiv.

He was intrigued by nan cinder moving way and agelong jump pit there. He began to propulsion shot-put and javelin, won Ukraine’s nationalist inferior decathlon championships successful 2018 and 2019 and pulled connected a Ukraine nationalist vest – those now unmistakable colours – to compete successful under-18 and under-20 European Athletics Championships.

A clip of him competing successful nan rod vault astatine Ukraine’s nationalist inferior indoor championships will person a ringing a familiarity to immoderate parents whose children person taken up athletics. The drafty, alternatively deserted stadium pinch its galore quiet integrative seats. Volodymyr’s unrestrained roar – part-relief, part-delight - echoing astir nan spot erstwhile he clears nan bar. A individual best.

It was not without logic that he dreamed of representing Ukraine astatine nan Paris Olympics. ‘He was called nan awesome dream of Ukrainian athletics,’ nan Berlin-based Ukrainian journalist Anastasia Magazova related successful a study for nan German insubstantial Die Tageszeitung this week.

It wasn’t to be. He was injured successful an awkward pole-vault landing and turned his attraction to javelin, yet nan consciousness that he was someway ‘not contributing’ capable successful life led him to unpaid for nan subject fighting Putin - launching grenades for nan Second Battalion, Sixth Company, of Ukraine’s 95th Brigade. He was 22 erstwhile he died during an cognition to retake onshore adjacent nan eastbound municipality of Bakhmut successful January past year.

Of course, Volodymyr has not been nan only one. Since Russia’s invasion, 462 Ukrainian athletes and coaches person been killed and Magazova’s study specifications nan stories of five, pinch devastating understatement. There’s Alina Perehudova, a 14-year-old weightlifter who had been preparing for nan 2023 European Championships erstwhile she and her mother, leaving their location successful Mariupol, were deed by shrapnel from an detonation and died instantly. Trampolinist Anastasia Ihnatenko had conscionable rented an flat successful Dnipro pinch her hubby and their one-year-old boy erstwhile a Russian rocket deed nan building and killed her.

They and galore much will beryllium remembered by their compatriots and friends base Ukraine’s emblem to nan banks of nan Seine. Look retired for that contingent - who get successful France pinch hopes of possibly 20 medals - because their grace and people shame an International Olympic Committee (IOC) which has handed Russian athletes nan chance to compete astatine these games, and Putin nan chance to utilization nan propaganda imaginable if they medal.

The IOC’s spineless screen for allowing 19 Russians successful is that they whitethorn neither carnivore their country’s sanction and flag, nor perceive its nationalist anthem. In an reproach to our intelligence, they show america that study of these athletes’ societal media posts and nationalist statements beryllium they person ‘no progressive support for nan war.’

A study by Global Rights Compliance, a quality authorities group, suggests that Russian cyclist Alena Ivanchenko has 'liked' respective pro-war posts connected societal media and that her tennis-playing compatriot Elena Vesnina has validated posts astir 'military feats' of Russian soldiers sidesplitting Ukrainians and posts displaying nan pro-war 'Z' symbol.

Some of Russia’s weightlifters and cyclists person declined invitations to compete successful Paris, citing ‘humiliating’ and ‘unsportsmanlike’ IOC action criteria. How achy for these delicate souls. Do, please, enactment away.

There is nary spot for Russia astatine nan Olympics. Nothing little than an absolute boycott, absolute pariah status, will suffice for a federation which for years has laughed successful nan look of sport’s astir glorious and precious corporate movement. Before nan 2016 Olympics, location were revelations of a coordinated, state-sponsored doping programme to guarantee that Russia won much medals than anyone other astatine nan 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Now, Putin’s state-sponsored outlets are publishing worldly informing nan Paris games are astatine consequence from terrorism.

Ukraine stands precocious supra them here. From Jesse Owens single-handedly destroying Germany’s effort astatine proving Aryan superiority successful 1936 to US sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos protesting their country’s curen of achromatic citizens successful 1968, nan Olympics person carried a torch for state and humanity. These Games will beryllium nary different. They are truthful timely successful this respect.

The representation of Volodymyr Androshchuk will beryllium preserved by Artur Felfner, competing successful nan decathlon for Ukraine, whose ain reflections of his erstwhile team-mate and friend are included successful a good caller New York Times piece. There were tears successful Felfner’s look when, connected a snowy time successful Letychiv, 16 months ago, he attended Volodymyr’s funeral. Debate was raging astatine nan clip astir Russia being permitted to compete astatine nan Paris Olympics. ‘I don't cognize really they tin fto them compete,’ he told nan Reuters agency that day. ‘There’s nary spot for them there.’

For nan would-be Olympian’s family, location is only nan dull ache of loss. ‘He was ever successful a hurry to get somewhere, successful a hurry to live,’ says Volodymyr’s sister, Lyudmila. ‘He should still unrecorded and live. So galore plans for nan early that will ne'er beryllium realised.’

England domiciled not for an opportunist 

For a man who has mastered nan creation of ne'er seeming to opportunity thing remotely interesting, Eddie Howe really is arsenic soft arsenic silk. 

Witness nan tautology successful nan measurement he exploited links betwixt him and nan England occupation to laic down a marker successful nan powerfulness struggle presently ensuing astatine Newcastle. ‘This is each astir Newcastle. It's not astir England… so, arsenic agelong arsenic I americium happy, I person not thought of thing else,’ he said, past week. 

England require a head for whom, to get from Gareth Southgate, nan domiciled is nan privilege of a lifetime. Not an opportunist looking for immoderate useful leverage. Thanks, but nary thanks, Eddie.

Sadness astatine West Indies diminishment 

Wonderful to spot Shoaib Bashir’s 5 wickets vindicating England’s religion successful youth, but I don’t judge I americium nan only 1 for whom an overwhelming sadness astatine West Indies diminishment transcends immoderate contiguous glee astir England’s success.

Granted, Windies’ demolition has, to immoderate degree, been self-inflicted. But nan ICC has seen to it that a mini oligarchy of 3 able cricket nations - India, England and Australia - person go richer, while nan have-nots, including West Indies, are near to get by connected scraps arsenic champion they can.

One of nan awesome sporting films 

I’ve conscionable re-watched Fire successful Babylon, genuinely 1 of nan top films to person emerged from nan section of sport. 

The communicative it tells of really nan awesome West Indies broadside of nan 1970s utilized cricket – their colonisers’ crippled – arsenic a devastating look of their independent tone is truthful inspirational that you wonderment really nan squad and Test cricket connected nan islands tin person fallen truthful acold successful 40 years. 

I, for one, won’t beryllium looking for immense English supremacy astatine Edgbaston from Friday.