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This renewal of the Ukraine Solidarity Fund will provide much-needed support to athletes in a country where over 340 sports facilities have been destroyed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
World Athletics has announced that it will once again fund Ukrainian athletes as they prepare for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023.
This renewal of the Ukraine Solidarity Fund will provide much-needed support to athletes in a country where over 340 sports facilities have been destroyed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Last year, World Athletics distributed over $220,000 to more than 100 Ukrainian athletes, with female athletes comprising 70% of the fund beneficiaries.
Among those helped by the Solidarity Fund is Anna Ryzhykova, a hurdler who was fifth in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and won Olympic bronze in the 4x400 relay in 2012 in London.
"I hope no one ever feels this despair," said Ryzhykova, adding; "You forget about your career, about your dreams and you think about how to survive and how to help your family and friends to survive.”
“The World Athletics Solidarity Fund really saved our athletes' careers, and gave us a chance to fight for our country in our own way," she continued.
Ryzhykova, who is a member of the World Athletics' athletes commission, has pledged to run for a WA administrative position in the future.
In addition to renewing the Solidarity Fund, World Athletics is also committed to achieving gender equity in the sport.
As part of its efforts towards gender equity, World Athletics is targeting 40% female participation in online courses as part of a learning pipeline for future administrators.
The organization is also set to have 40% female participation and at least one female vice-president on the World Athletics Council this year.
In addition, World Athletics plans to expand research into representation of female athletes across media channels and has set a deadline of the end of 2023 for all 214 global member federations to implement safeguarding policies.
World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, believes that providing equal opportunity is not enough and that true equity in the sport can only be achieved by offering female athletes, administrators, and officials the tools they need to be empowered to pursue careers at all levels of athletics.
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