The 22-year-old high jumper took home the Olympic gold on Sunday evening at Stade de France and the day after, the Ukrainian says she is disappointed with the silence from the Russian Olympic participants who are allowed to compete under a neutral flag in Paris.
They haven't said anything against this war, says Mahutjich, who herself had to flee Ukraine after Russia invaded the country in February 2022.
In athletics, no Russian or Belarusian athletes are allowed to participate at all in Paris, but in several other sports, individual athletes are allowed to participate under a neutral flag if they, for example, do not actively support the war of aggression.
That they are even allowed to participate under a neutral flag is "double standards", believes Mahutjich, who in July set a world record with her jump of 2.10 meters during the Diamond League gala in Paris.
It is ultimately the IOC (International Olympic Committee) that has given the green light for the neutral athletes after an examination. A total of 15 Russian and 17 Belarusian athletes were registered for the Olympic Games.
However, human rights organization Global Rights Compliance (GRC) claims that ten of the Russian athletes have "violated the principles of participation", which AFP reported on before the Olympic Games.
