Words by

Nanna Árnadóttir

@nannaarnadottir

Iceland’s Social Affairs Minister Eygló Harðardóttir will not be attending the Special Olympics in Sochi, reports RÚV.

The Icelandic Special Olympics team have arrived in the Olympic Village in Sochi  but the social affairs minister has decided against going citing the developing conflict in the Ukraine as her reason for holding back.

In a statement on the ministry’s website Eygló wrote that her thoughts were “with the powerful and capable athletes that have put so much on themselves [to prepare] for the games.”