MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/. The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) has sent to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) a request for using Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s musical peace instead of the country’s national anthem at awarding ceremonies of Russian athletes during the Olympic Games, ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov said on Thursday.
Due to current sanctions of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Russian athletes are prohibited until December 2022 from participating in the world championships and Olympic Games under the national flag and to the tune of the national anthem.
"We have arranged to hold extra consultations, including with the IOC, in regard to the precedent brought up by the Russian Skating Union…," Pozdnyakov stated.
The International Skating Union (ISU) confirmed to TASS in February that a musical piece from Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 would be played during the awarding ceremonies of Russian figure skating medalists at the World Championship instead of the country’s national anthem.
The duration of the musical piece will be approximately one minute. The Russian national team of figure skaters will be participating in the world championship under the FSFR official logo.
"We have considered it to be possible to turn to the IOC asking to approve this [musical] composition," Pozdnyakov added.
The 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Japan’s Tokyo will be held between July 23 and August 8. In March 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a decision to postpone for one year the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Japan due to the continuous COVID-19 spread.
Sanctions against Russian sports
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland’s Lausanne partially upheld on December 17, 2020 WADA’s (the World Anti-Doping Agency) previous ruling on a number of sanctions against Russian sports.
According to the CAS decision, Russian athletes were deprived of their right to participate in all World Championships, Olympic and Paralympic Games under the national flag of Russia for the two-year period.
The national anthem of Russia was also ruled out to be played at international sports tournaments in the course of the next two years, including at the upcoming Olympic Games in Japan this summer.
The ruling of the Swiss-based court also stripped Russia of the right to bid for the organization of all international sports tournaments for the period of two years. WADA’s sanctions will be in force until December 2022.