(ANSA) – ROME, APRIL 08 – Olympic champion in the 100 breaststroke at the London Games in 2012, when she was only 15 years old, the Lithuanian Ruta Meilutytè protested against the war in Ukraine, swimming in red colored waters to simulate a ‘pond of blood ‘in front of the Russian embassy in Vilnius. The performance was supported by local authorities and is part of the “Red-Blood” project, spread around the world to protest the Russian attack on Ukrainian cities.
On Twitter, Meilutytè explained that she wanted to make an appeal “on behalf of the Ukrainian people”, a victim of the Russian attack.
Thus his performance “Swimming Through” is a call to action in support of the Ukrainian people who “are facing the genocide committed by Russia”. “With countries like Germany not coming forward to impose adequate sanctions on the perpetrator – he explains – choosing money instead of people makes it difficult to maintain hope. Therefore, it is essential that we continue to act, spreading truthful information, with volunteering, protesting, donating and pushing our governments to act “. “Bloody Lagoon underscores Russia’s responsibility for committing war crimes against Ukrainians. Swimming symbolizes the need for an ongoing effort to fight.” The Olympic champion was also keen to point out that the lagoon was dyed with ecological paint, approved by the authorities and used in scientific tests.
In 2012 Meilutytè stunned the world by winning Olympic gold at the age of 15. Two years later, at the Youth Games in Nanjing, China, she became the first and only swimmer to date to win Olympic gold before the Youth Games. She later swam in Brazil competing for the Flamengo team in the Brazil Trophy and, at national level, she won world and European titles before retiring at the age of 22 in 2019 to fight depression. (HANDLE).
Source: Ansa
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