Русская версияSome of Georgia's 35 athletes, including weightlifters Arsen
Kasabiev and Albert Kuzilov, have their homes precisely in South
Ossetia, the centre of the hostilities between Russia and Georgia
since Friday.
Kasabiev -- set to compete on Aug.
17 in the 94 kilogram discipline
-- and Kuzilov -- set to take part in the 105 kilogram competition
a day later -- have been in constant contact with their families in
recent days, team officials said.
"So far everything is fine, but we all spend all our time
worrying," Georgian delegation spokesman Giorgi Tschanishvili told
DPA news agency.
"The most terrible thing is that the Russians attacked us while we
were at the Games' opening ceremony," he said. "A war is always
something abnormal, but when it happens at the moment when the
Olympic flame lights up it is a thousand times worse."
It was duly noted around the world that the hostilities started
during the opening ceremony with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin present in the Beijing stadium.
Staying at the games
Bildunterschrift:
Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:
Olympic truce was not respected in Georgia this year
"It is very difficult for us Georgians because of everything that
is going on at home," said shooting bronze medalist Nino
Salukvadze. "Last night the president (Mikheil Saakashvili) called
and told us we better stay in Beijing. We couldn't sleep all night.
We were up until one or two in the morning. All we could think
about was Georgia."
Salukvadze and silver medalist Natalia Paderina of Russia hugged
and kissed in a poignant gesture of Olympic sportsmanship after the
victory ceremony on Sunday.
"The competition was a victory for sport because sport stands for
friendship," Salukvadze said. "We have had so many big wars in the
20th century, what we need is peace. That is something politics can
learn from sport."
Paderina said: "I have won many friends through sport. Not only in
Russia but in many other countries. Nino competed for the Soviet
Union for many years. We are friends and our embrace should show
that politics can learn from sport."
Old friends
Russian mission spokesman Gennady Shvets told DPA that the gesture
reflects a long tradition of friendliness from Russian athletes and
that sportsmen are not thinking of armed conflict.
"For us, there is no Georgian issue, it's just Georgian athletes,"
Shvets stressed.
Within the Russian ranks, the war is virtually taboo, and the
athletes are not thinking of armed conflict.
"They are all thinking only of the Olympic Games and of how to win
medals, gold, silver or bronze," Shvets said. "Wars or tsunamis do
not matter in these two weeks."
(Deutsche Welle)
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