With Ukrainian Olympians distracted by events at home, the team launched a social media blitz under the tag #OlympicUa_peace – and invite you to join along with them.
These are tough times for Ukraine’s Olympians.
Instead of focusing on the most important sporting competitions of their lives – or even on the pandemic that has been ravaging the team – Ukrainian Olympians’ thoughts are with their loved ones back home during this time of crisis.
“Focusing on sport is very difficult at all times right now because of the situation”, monobob racer Lidiia Hunko told the Kyiv Post in an exclusive interview.
“It’s not easy for me, or for my team, or for my country. You understand – I can’t not have a reaction.“
To show resolve with Ukrainians back home and in harm’s way, Ukraine’s Olympic team has launched a social media campaign entitled #OlympicUa_peace where they share posts of themselves with the Ukrainian flag on social media.
And they invite you to join along with them.
Just take a photo of you enjoying your favorite winter sports activity, and make sure you have a Ukrainian flag along with you – or anything else that’s blue and yellow – and share on social media with the hashtag #OlympicUa_peace.
Heraskevych’s Anti-War Protest Inspires Campaign
It all started when Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych unveiled a ‘No War in Ukraine’ poster that he sledded with on international TV.
Despite howls from Russian press of that the move was banned under political protest – many of whom sport banned Russian or Soviet flags on colors as they cry foul – the IOC said Heraskevych wouldn’t be sanctioned as his statement was “a generic call for peace”.
This prompted a response from the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, who calls on winter sports lovers of all nations to join behind this innocent call for peace online.
“Being thousands of kilometers away from the Motherland, we are mentally with our relatives and friends”, Ukraine’s NOC said in a kick-off post.
“The Olympic Games have always united people and brought the ideals of peace, unity, friendship, and respect. We believe in a better and more peaceful future”.
The #OlympicUa_peace movement quickly took off, as Ukrainian Olympian after Ukrainian Olympian joined in the campaign. Ski jumper Anton Korchuk was the first to jump – no pun intended – on board by posting a series of pictures alongside the popular Beijing 2022 panda mascot Bing Dwen Dwen.
Cross-country skiers Maryna Antsybor, Yulia Krol, and Daria Rublova were next, sharing a pictures from Zhangjiakou, China – where the Olympic cross-country skiing competitions are being held. Speed skater Oleh Handei was next up, posting a series of pictures of him competing at Beijing 2022.
Even the genesis of the movement – Heraskevych himself – joined in.
A flood of posts from athletes and organisations followed, including: Dmytro Pidruchni (Biathlon) Olena Stetskiv, Anton Dukach & Andriy Mandziy (Luge) Ukraine’s Olympic Team Ukraine’s Ministry of Youth & Sports NOC Ternopil.
Kyiv Post’s Lee Reaney joins in with a post from the National Indoor Arena in Beijing.
When Iryna Kalita of Ukraine’s NOC posted, she chose one of Kyiv Post’s photos from Beijing 2022.
You can show your support by posting a picture of yourself doing your favorite winter activity and sporting Ukraine’s blue and yellow – and be sure to include the hashtag #OlympicUa_peace.
