“I am wounded to my core by what is taking place in my country.” Pole vault legend Sergey Bubka calls for end to fighting in Ukraine

In an interview with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), 1988 Olympic gold medalist Sergey Bubka addressed his thoughts on the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

Bubka, an IOC member and the president of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine, has been tasked with coordinating all aspects of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and its people.

“I am spending every second of every day coordinating efforts with the IOC, my NOC team, the national federations and the government to identify where the athletes, coaches and their families are located, and then work out how we can best help them,” he told the IOC during a recent interview. “It is very hard, as people are constantly dropping out of communication, and we are very worried for their safety.”

When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, just days after the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Bubka wasted little time reaching out to the minister of youth and sports and other members of the Olympic Movement. The safety of his fellow citizens is always at the forefront on his mind.

“I struggle to sleep. I wake up at three in the morning and make more calls and exchange messages with family, friends, athletes and others in our sports community,” he said.

“I hope to help as many Ukrainian athletes and Ukrainian people as possible.”

A task increasingly difficult as the death toll rises and damage estimates are well over $100 billion, but Bubka knows the vast majority of the world stands united with Ukraine and he’s grateful for the support.

“I am humbled by the messages I’ve received, not just from the IOC, NOCs or World Athletics family, but from the global sports family and beyond. We are very grateful the IOC, many NOCs and international federations have already launched various support initiatives.”

To date the IOC has provided over $200,000 worth of aid and has urged organizations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition, and remove their events from the two countries, calling the situation “a dilemma which cannot be solved.”

While Russia and Ukraine to hold peace talks with moderate degrees of progress, Bubka remains hopeful for an end to the fighting.

“I am wounded to my core by what is taking place in my country, and I am calling to put an urgent end to this war, which seems to resonating in every corner of the world.”