MOSCOW, February 3 State Duma deputy and Olympic champion in speed skating Svetlana Zhurova said that the ban on speaking Russian for Ukrainian athletes is sad, it contradicts the updated Olympic motto «Faster, higher, stronger — together.» The Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Vadym Gutzeit said earlier that Ukrainian athletes were advised not to stand next to the Russians during any events at the Olympic Games in order to avoid provocations. Earlier, a source said that Ukrainians were strongly advised to avoid joint photos with Russian athletes and not to give interviews in Russian. «It is very sad that Ukrainian politicians forbade their athletes to speak Russian, communicate with our guys, take pictures with them. I don't know how it will happen.Let's hypothetically imagine: there is a Ukrainian who won first place, a Russian who won second, and an American with third place on the podium. Russians will make a shot,» Zhurova said at the round table «Russian Sport: Development of the Nation and the Interests of the Country.»
