FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ukrainian athletes benefit from fund to attend
World Athletics Championships
The first group of Ukrainian athletes and coaches depart today (Thursday)
for the USA ahead of next month's World Athletics Championships Oregon22.
World Athletics is distributing more than US$220,000 to support Ukrainian
athletes preparing for the World Championships and the World Athletics U20
Championships Cali 22 in response to the crisis caused by Russia's invasion
of Ukraine.
World Athletics, the Member Meetings of Diamond League Association and the
International Athletics Foundation launched a Ukraine Fund in April with
the purpose of assisting professional athletes, immediate family members
and their support personnel affected by Russia's invasion of their home
country.
This was in addition to a Solidarity Fund established by the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) in February, which has already allocated about
US$2.5 million to the Ukrainian Olympic Community and sports movement.
Both funds have enabled the Ukrainian Federation to pay a significant
portion of the cost of training camps and competition across Europe for
athletes preparing for these major events while a number of European
National Olympic Committees, in coordination with the IOC, have provided
support too.
The Athletics Ukraine Fund is now being used to fund the entire Ukrainian
delegation's attendance in Oregon.
So far 53 athletes, 25 coaches and officials, and 18 family members
including children have received assistance from the Fund.
With the support of the IOC, the Fund will also ensure the Ukrainian team's
attendance at the World U20 Championships in Cali in August.
The IOC and European Athletics also assisted with training camps in Europe
while the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee is providing additional
support for athletes attending a training camp in California leading into
the World Championships.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: "I am grateful and proud of
the way the athletics community and the Olympic community have come
together to support the Ukrainian Federation as they try to keep as many
athletes as they can in training and competition. My thanks go to everyone
involved for their support as these athletes prepare to represent their
country while the war continues."
Iolanta Khropach, General Secretary of the Ukrainian Athletic Association,
said the federation was extremely grateful for the support of the combined
athletics organisations and the IOC who came immediately to their aid after
the invasion.
"They help our athletes to train and compete," she said. "Without this
support, it just would not be possible. This is more than just having good
facilities and possibility to perform at World Championships and other
events. World Athletics, European Athletics and the IOC have helped to save
the lives of our athletes.
"Many Ukrainian athletes now defend our country with weapons in their
hands. Our sports infrastructure is destroyed. World Athletics was one of
the first sports organisations in the world that banned Russian and
Belarusian athletes and officials. We appreciate it so much and believe in
World Athletics' strong position in the future.
"We are grateful to World Athletics and the IOC, as well as to every
federation, LOC, other organisations, and individuals supporting us during
these challenging times. Now we feel like never before that we are a true
athletics family."
World Athletics would like to thank all those organisations who have made
generous contributions to the Ukraine Fund, including Members of the
Diamond League Association, the International Athletics Foundation, the
IOC, USOPC and PWC France Sport Challenge.
The fund can receive additional contributions at any time until fund
closure which is set for 31 December 2023. Funding per beneficiary will be
allocated on a needs-basis.
Potential donors to the fund should contact .
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