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.
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) said 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, TASS reported.
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.
