Triathlon Australia (TA) stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian triathlon community at these unimaginably distressing times for the people of Ukraine.

TA strongly supports the position of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Triathlon and Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) to exclude Russian and Belarusian athlete and official participation in international sporting competitions, and to not organise international sporting events in Russia or Belarus. 

TA joins the international sporting community in condemnation of the attack against Ukraine, through which the Olympic Truce has been breached by the Russian government and the government of Belarus.

TA will not support Australian athletes to participate in events in Russia or Belarus, and will withdraw athletes and officials from any sports events where Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials may be participating.

TA will monitor the situation with World Triathlon ahead of the Multisport World Championships scheduled for Romania in June, with the safety and security of athletes of utmost priority. 

World Triathlon has set up an email account (welcome@triathlon.org) where any member of the Triathlon community in Ukraine that is leaving the country or is willing to do so, can reach out to find families in other countries that are willing to host them. The email address is also available for all prospective host persons anywhere in the world who can offer their support to those fleeing Ukrainian. World Triathlon will keep all contacts confidential but will help to put the parties in touch with each other.

World Triathlon had previously suspended the Russian Triathlon Federation, due to the high number of doping cases, in December 2021 for one year, and no events were permitted to take place in the country in 2022.