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🇳🇴 Norway /Sports

Ukrainian sports stars refuse to shake hands with Russians, and pay an uncomfortable price

From Aftenposten · () Norwegian

Translated from Norwegian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth From a news agency Context piece
  • Ukrainian athletes have continued refusing gestures of sportsmanship toward Russian competitors amid the war’s impact on international sport.
  • The stance has brought Ukrainian competitors boos, abuse and threats from some spectators and others.
  • Marta Kostyuk’s celebration after winning a match at the US Open highlighted the geopolitical tensions surrounding tennis.

Marta Kostyuk drove the match point toward the net at the US Open in New York. Then the Ukrainian clenched her fist and celebrated while looking up at the stands, reminding tennis fans that a geopolitical shadow still hangs over the sport.

Opponents normally thank each other after a match. For Kostyuk, that was never an option. Ukrainian stars have taken a stand against Russian competitors for several years, and the price has included booing, abuse and threats.

The scene at the US Open showed how the war’s divisions continue to follow Ukrainian athletes onto the court. A familiar sporting ritual, the handshake, has become a visible point of conflict between competitors from the two countries.

About this summary

Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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