Former star pentathlete Aleksander Lesun has come to terms with the fact he'll likely never compete again after spurning support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Lesun—who turns 34 on July 1—was born in Belarus while it was still a part of the Soviet Union. He's said he was "proud to compete under the Russian flag" during his career as a modern pentathlete, during which he was crowned a world champion on four separate occasions and won a gold medal in the individual event at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
He's one of only a handful of prominent athletes to publicly criticise Putin for the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24. Sports figures and other high-profile are understood to fear for their own safety or that of their families if they encourage resistance against the country's figurehead.
"I quit all my sports positions on February 22 and in two days all the events [in Ukraine] began," he told BBC Sport. "What did I feel? Can I use swear words in this interview? To say that I was shocked is to say nothing. I understood that the world would never be the same again."
The United Nations estimated on Tuesday that there had been "4,450 civilian casualties in [Ukraine]: 1,892 killed and 2,558 injured," while more than 4.5million refugees are understood to have fled the country. The exact death toll is believed to be far greater, however, with accurate figures still difficult to ascertain.
Lesun said he once viewed Russia as "something dear to my heart, something strong, great," referring to the people and "natural beauty of his adopted nation. Now, though, he's grown ashamed of the country for whom he medalled at seven separate World Modern Pentathlon Championships.
"Sportspeople in Russia are like a tool. A tool of propaganda," Lesun added. "But nobody thinks about the effect their actions can have on the lives of others. Nobody thinks that their actions will lead to the death of boys and girls, men and women, elderly people.
"Of course, every person should decide for themselves what to do. OK - but now they will need to live with it. I am sorry to admit that Russian sportspeople can't influence the situation. And a lot of them do not even understand what is happening."
His decision to retire from athletics was made on a whim, with no failsafe in place. He's now working in a field not directly related to sport, with no clear path back to the platform on which he established Russia as the best in the world.
