Deprived of official selection due to anti-doping sanctions, Russian athletes authorized to participate in the Tokyo Olympic Games will parade under a neutral flag to the sound of Tchaikovsky.
"
An excerpt from Pyotr Tchaikovsky's first concerto for piano and orchestra will be performed in honor of the victories of our athletes,
" the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) said in a statement, adding that it had received permission from the International Olympic Committee ( CIO).
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The IOC must "
send in the near future the appropriate letters to the international Olympic sports federations
" to notify them of this decision.
The same work will represent Russia at the Beijing Winter Games, the ROC said.
Giant of world sport, Russia was excluded in December for two years from major international competitions, after a cascade of cheating.
If they have never been convinced of doping, athletes will be able to compete but under a neutral banner.
In its decision confirming the exclusion of Russia, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) also specified that “
the Russian national anthem (or any anthem linked to Russia) will not be played or sung officially
”.
Tchaikovsky preferred to a patriotic song
The Russian authorities had hoped to play
Katyusha
, a famous patriotic song often used during military parades, but this choice was refused because it was too closely linked to Russia.
The opening of the first concerto for piano and orchestra by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), the most famous of Russian composers, had already been used in March for the podiums at the world figure skating championships in Stockholm.
Last week, Russia presented the “
neutral
”
outfits
that its athletes will wear, approved by the IOC.
If the tunic should not represent the Russian flag, the three colors chosen (white, blue, red) are those of the country and the outfit differs little from those of previous Olympics.
“
The national flag is an important motivation for our sporting victories and unfortunately we cannot use it. But even without, no need for a lot of imagination, it is easy to distinguish the colors of our flag,
”ROC President Stanislav Pozdniakov commented during the presentation.
