The former president of the National Olympic Committee, Serhiy Bubka, found himself at the center of a scandal after he took part in the awards ceremony for a Russian woman at the Olympic Games in Paris. Bubka, who is accused of doing business in Russia and the occupied territories, impressed the public with his participation in the awarding of Daria Varfolomeeva, who formally represented Germany.
Ukrainian skeletonist Vladyslav Geraskevych drew attention to Bubka's behavior on his Instagram page. According to the athlete, the former head of the NOC with a smile shook the hand of Varfolomeeva, the winner of the all-around in artistic gymnastics. Geraskevych emphasized that Varfolomeeva, although she represented Germany at the competition, has a dubious reputation due to her Russian identity and participation in competitions in occupied Crimea.
In addition, Varfolomyeva did not publicly condemn the war against Ukraine and violated the law by appearing in photos with a map that includes the occupied Ukrainian regions as part of the Russian Federation. This caused even more indignation among Ukrainian athletes and the public.
Geraskevych sharply criticized Bubka, calling him a "devil", and called for the exclusion of the former president of the NOC from all official positions, as well as for the deprivation of the title of Hero of Ukraine. This incident became a new reason for discussing relations between Ukrainian and Russian sports representatives on the international arena.
