Last weekend, the organizers of Wimbledon were embarrassed that the women's singles competition was unexpectedly won by a native of Moscow, Ekaterina Rybakina, albeit performing under the flag of Kazakhstan.

Although they didn’t want to see the Russians at the tournament and didn’t even include footage of the final of Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams in 2004 in the video for the anniversary of Center Court.

In Ukraine, they continue to impose sanctions on current and former athletes who are in any way connected with Russia.

On the eve of the country's NOC, he was outraged that the 1992 Olympic champion from Odessa Viktor Petrenko takes part in Tatiana Navka's show "The Scarlet Flower" in Sochi and goes on the ice with Kamila Valieva (the figure skater plays the role of the father of the main character Nastenka).

It is planned that the performances will last until the end of September.

“The NOC of Ukraine strongly condemns and considers unacceptable the act of Viktor Petrenko, who recently took part in the ice shows in Sochi.

Such behavior, such an act is unacceptable for the Olympic community of Ukraine, ”the statement on the organization’s official website says.

The NOC was followed by the reaction of the Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation.

Petrenko was immediately expelled from the organization and removed from the post of vice president.

According to the head of the UFFC, Mikhail Makarov, such a decision was made, since the Olympic champion went on the ice with supporters of a special operation in Ukraine. 

“The Presidium of the UFC received a lot of appeals and letters from members of the federation, athletes and fans of figure skating, which express not only fair indignation at Petrenko’s act, but also disdain for him as a person and athlete,” the federation’s official website quoted Makarov as saying. 

It is interesting that although Petrenko was listed as the Vice President of the UVFK, he did not take part in the activities of the organization for a long time, since he lived and worked in the USA.

One of his pupils was the bronze medalist of the 2008 World Championship, American Johnny Weir.

Also in the 2000s, at international competitions, Victor was the ISU technical controller.

As for the show, for the first time in the production of "The Scarlet Flower" the skater appeared back in 2018.

By the way, Petrenko played for the Ukrainian national team at the amateur level for only one year: in 1994, he took fourth place at the Olympics in Lillehammer.

He won the bronze of the 1988 Games under the flag of the USSR, and gold in 1992 under the flag of the United Team, formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union.  

According to RT columnist Elena Vaitsekhovskaya, the situation in world sports has already reached the point of absurdity, and the removal of an athlete who has not been associated with the UFC for 30 years is a vivid example of this.  

“The motivational part, by the way, generally leaves much to be desired.

If you really disqualify, then definitely not for the fact that a person rides in the show of a native of Dnepropetrovsk, receiving Russian money for this.

And for the fact that both of his Olympic medals - the bronze of Calgary in 1988 and the gold of Albertville in 1992 - Petrenko won, representing the “wrong” country, ”the Olympic champion believes.

Responded to the decision of the UFC and Tatyana Navka.

She noted that Ukraine has not provided any assistance to Petrenko for a long time and he is able to independently decide where to perform.

“Victor has been in professional sports for a long time.

He does what he sees fit.

I dream that all athletes around the world have the opportunity to perform and work where they can, to please the audience with their presence and talent.

No one will ever cancel his status as an Olympic champion.

He performs for the audience, children.

Of course, this is an absurd decision”, — quotes the words of Navka “Championship”.

“If all the troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine took part in the “Scarlet Flower” instead of bombing Donbass, I would be all for it.

... You don't have to worry about Victor.

He definitely will not be lost, ”Zhulin said in an interview with Sport24.

Honored coach Tatyana Tarasova, in turn, urged everyone to stop the strife and start doing business. 

“The decision of the Ukrainian federation causes me only regret, because Petrenko, after all, is engaged in his profession.

We are waiting for the moment when all people on earth will embrace and be friends.

Victor is our comrade and friend, and I love him.

I wish everyone peace on earth, ”RIA Novosti quotes Tarasova.

And the three-time Olympic champion Irina Rodnina believes that with such actions the UFC simply reminds of its existence.

“Petrenko won the Games back in 1992.

And he won the Olympics not as a representative of Ukraine.

By expelling Viktor from the organization, the federation only reminded him of some kind of vitality.

If they have nothing to do, then the flag is in their hands, ”Rodnina told RBC Sport.

It should be noted that this is not the first political decision in figure skating.

Earlier, Anastasia Shabotova was expelled from the Ukrainian national team by order of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the country.

The reason for this step was the like under the post of two-time Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko, who expressed his attitude to the situation in Ukraine.