Ukrainian hearts Russian friend
An Olympic hug becomes a scandal
02/18/2022 2:42 p.m
IOC boss Thomas Bach sees a big gesture, in his native Ukraine the embrace of Alexander Abramenko is seen as a provocation. What happened? The ski freestyler hugged his Russian friend – contrary to a public recommendation.
Something must have gone terribly wrong, but Alexander Abramenko actually didn’t want to talk about it. “I don’t know,” said the Ukrainian after hugging Russia’s Ilya Burov and receiving a lot of criticism for it. “I have no comment on that,” said Abramenko on Norwegian TV broadcaster NRK. Just this much: they have never spoken about politics and are friends. The hug was “nothing political”. But there was a lot of excitement at home after ski freestyler Abramenko won silver in the aerials competition – and then Burow (bronze) hearted.
“New hugs with the Russians,” wrote the newspaper “Segodnja” and even sensed a “scandal.” And “Xsport” used the word “provocation”. Of course, the Ukrainian media also recalled that Abramenko, who is married to a Russian woman, also hugged Burov after his Olympic victory four years ago and caused outrage even then. The topic is so emotionally charged again because the fear of a Russian invasion in the coming days is huge in Ukraine.
There was a lot of excitement in Tokyo a year ago when high jumper Jaroslawa Mahuchich celebrated bronze with Olympic champion Marija Lasizkene (Russia). And sports minister Wadym Hutzajt had issued urgent instructions before Beijing that Ukrainian athletes should please “avoid standing with Russian athletes and taking photos.”
While IOC President Thomas Bach was happy about the hug (“What a symbol in these times”), Hutzajt could not understand Abramenko’s behavior “at all”, Hutzajt now said. How can one ignore “what is happening between our countries?” Abramenko said he wasn’t a “politician” – but he was “proud” of winning Ukraine’s first medal at the Beijing Games.