Oksana Baiul, who became Ukraine's first-ever Olympic champion when she won figure skating gold at Lillehammer 1994, has urged the IOC to ban Russian athletes from Paris 2024 ©Twitter

Ukraine’s first Olympic gold medallist Oksana Baiul has pleaded with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach to "help us" by banning Russian athletes from competing at next year’s Games in Paris.

The former figure skater has issued a video on social media calling on Bach to impose a ban on Russia for Paris 2024 due to the war in Ukraine.

The IOC has recommended that competitors from Russia and Belarus return to the global sporting stage as long as they do not support the war in Ukraine and are not affiliated to the military.

A call on participation for Paris 2024 has yet to be made with Bach claiming last month that it was "not appropriate" to give a timeline on such a decision.

Baiul, who made history when she secured Ukraine’s first-ever Olympic gold medal with victory in the ladies singles at Lillehammer 1994, has urged Bach to ensure Russian athletes do not compete in the French capital.

"My address to Thomas Bach, I am an Olympic champion, Oksana Baiul," said Baiul, also a winner of a World Championship gold in 1993 and who is a two-time European medallist.

"Dear Thomas, now there is a wide-spread war going on in Ukraine.

"We, Ukrainians, did not start it.

"This is why we don’t want neutral athletes, athletes from Russia to participate in 2024 Olympic Games.

"Help us."

Rescuers search for survivors on the top of a partially destroyed residential building after a sheling in Sloviansk that killed eight people including a toddler ©Getty Images
Rescuers search for survivors on the top of a partially destroyed residential building after a sheling in Sloviansk that killed eight people including a toddler ©Getty Images

Her message came on the same day when a two-year boy and at least seven other people were killed following a missile strike in a residential area in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk.

Yesterday also saw Russian President Vladimir Putin sign a bill allowing electronic conscription notices to be issued to ensure people do not dodge military service in the war against Ukraine.

With Ukraine remaining under attack from Russian forces, athletes, officials and politicians in the war-torn country have slammed the IOC’s stance on Russia and Belarus.

The Ukrainian Government responded to the recommendations by announcing that athletes from the country would boycott any qualification events for the Paris 2024 Olympics where Russian and Belarusian athletes are competing.

insidethegames has contacted the IOC for comment.