For the Ukrainian Greco-Roman wrestler Jean Beleniuk, the week after the Tokyo Olympics turned out to be eventful. The winner of the gold medal in the weight category up to 87 kg and the People's Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada from the Servant of the People party managed to involve himself in a scandal with Yaroslava Maguchikh in a few days, become a victim of racist insults and arrange an absentee squabble with Russian journalist Olga Skabeeva.
The only Olympic champion of Tokyo-2020 in the Ukrainian national team Beleniuk was one of the first to react to the events around the high jumper Yaroslava Maguchikh. She was harassed in her homeland for taking a picture and hugging a Russian athlete Maria Lasitskene, and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine called the 19-year-old athlete to talk. Commenting on the incident, Beleniuk said that the leadership of the team should have explained to Maguchikh in advance how to behave in order to avoid unpleasant incidents.
“Firstly, I do not doubt for a second that Yaroslava Maguchikh is a patriot of Ukraine. She is a real hero because she fought for such a medal. Regarding bullying a child who is 19 years old, I am definitely against it. I believe that the representatives of our delegation should have conducted certain explanatory measures in advance about how certain actions can affect our athletes in the information space. I think this is the problem, ”Beleniuk told the NASH TV channel.
A few days later, Maguchikh made statements in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and announced a "war" between Kiev and Moscow.
Olga Skabeeva, an anchor of the Russia 1 TV channel, reacted to these statements.
Even after Beleniuk's victory at the Olympics, she devoted part of her program “60 minutes” to him and said that he may have danced in honor of this not a Ukrainian hopak, but a “Moscow squat”.
Now she published on her Telegram channel a joint photo with the wrestler, taken in 2016 at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“It would be fair to summon the People's Deputy Zhan Beleniuk to the Ministry of Defense.
Look, what a traitor (treason. -
RT
), ”commented Skabeeva.
After that, the 30-year-old wrestler had to make excuses. He stated that he did not know the Russian journalist and could accidentally take a picture with her. The native of Kiev also urged not to doubt the patriotism of Ukrainian athletes.
“Firstly, I don’t know who Olga Skabeeva is, since I don’t follow the context of political events in Russia, so I’m not interested at all, to be honest.
Secondly, I am a famous athlete, any person can come up and take a picture with me.
I walk down the street, a lot of people are taking pictures with me.
I ask everyone who is he, where is he from and what does he do?
... Ukrainian athletes prove that they are patriots by hard winning medals for our country.
Therefore, I personally have no questions for our athletes.
What is written by people who set themselves the goal of writing something does not interest me, I am used to proving by my deeds, showing the result, who is worth what, "Beleniuk told Strana.Ua.
In response, Skabeeva suggested that the Ukrainian fighter should not be involved in politics.
“One of two things: either Zhan Beleniuk was scared of lustrations, so he’s lying, or Zhan Beleniuk is an idiot, then what is he doing in the Rada.
Which is worse - I don't know for sure.
But for an attempt to save his own skin, the "famous athlete" gets a medal, "she said.
Simultaneously with this extramural dive, Beleniuk found himself in the center of another, already racist scandal.
The Ukrainian athlete, who has Rwandan roots, told on his Facebook how he was almost attacked by unknown persons who insulted him on a nationalistic basis.
“A few minutes ago, young people unknown to me, approaching me in the center of Kiev (Pechersk), tried to provoke a conflict! Shouting offensive things like: "The black monkey knows something about patriotism ?!" and "Go to Africa!" Thank God, it did not come to a fight, so everything is fine with me, but ... I wonder if I am Ukrainian for my state, what criteria of patriotism exist in it ?! How safe can an Olympic champion feel at home and in his hometown ?! And is it normal in a European state to hear offensive things for people who put their lives on its glorification? " Beleniuk asked.
The athlete's post collected about 2.5 thousand comments, in which Belenyuk's fans and associates in the party expressed their support for him.
This incident was even commented on by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
He stated that the police should not allow such incidents.
“The Ukrainian anthem was played at the 2020 Olympics thanks to Zhan Beleniuk!
He is one of the most worthy sons of Ukraine, our people are proud of him!
And any manifestations of racism or xenophobia in Ukraine are unacceptable!
The police must react toughly to such cases and suppress them, ”the politician wrote on Twitter.
Skabeeva did not disregard this episode either.
She noted that Beleniuk, as a representative of the authorities, should not be surprised by the events taking place in his country.
“Alas, everything is very natural for modern Ukraine!
I just don't understand why Jean Beleniuk is surprised.
When the athlete Maguchikh was hounded, for some reason he did not sharply criticize the authorities (in particular the Ministry of Defense, where the athlete was summoned to the carpet).
And now, when they pounced on him, he suddenly wonders if Ukraine is capable of defending its champions.
No, not capable.
And she won't even try.
And you, Zhan Beleniuk, I will remind you, are the pro-presidential people's deputy, a part of the Ukrainian government that has been working in collaboration with neo-Nazis for many years.
That is, you ask yourself the question about safety! "
- wrote the journalist.
In connection with the case with Beleniuk, she recalled recent statements by Zelenskiy, who urged the Russian population of Donbass to leave Ukraine, and called it "ethnic cleansing at the state level."
After that, Beleniuk for the first time answered Skabeeva directly.
In an interview with "Observer", answering a question about her words about his victory dance, he said that the Russian journalist should not be listened to.
“These are people without a clan and without a tribe, who are motivated by only one thing - to carry outright nonsense.
She is a propagandist.
She is engaged in her activities - she is talking all sorts of nonsense and hopes that she will be heard by some strata of the population.
Someone is interested.
But adequate people should not watch such programs at all, ”Beleniuk said.