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Another music as Russian anthem at Tokyo Olympics


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Team Junost, Russian National Junior Champion. (Credits: Ru-Pho - 2020)

Only a few days left before the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Did you know that the Russian gold medalists hear music by Tchaikovsky as the replacement for their national anthem?

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Piano Concerto No. 1 by Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky will replace the official anthem of Russia at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

This music was already used in March for the Russian podiums at the World Figure Skating Championships in Stockholm.

Russian Olympic officials had hoped to play instead "Katyusha", a famous patriotic song often used in military parades, but this choice was refused because it was too linked to Russia. 


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A Russian synchro fan. (Credits: Ru-Pho - 2020)

The country has been banned as punishment for state-backed doping and will be known by the acronym “ROC” for Russian Olympic Committee. 

A Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling last year banned Russia’s flag, anthem and team name from the next two Olympics in the latest punishment for an extensive doping program and cover-ups. The flag of the country’s Olympic committee will also be used rather than the national tricolour.

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For the moment, these sanctions and modifications do not concern synchronized skating, which is not yet part of the Olympic family. 

Nevertheless, synchro fans who will follow the Tokyo Games in a few days should not be surprised; they will not hear the famous anthem, well-known in international synchro events. The Olympic Games will open on July 23 in Japan.

Sources: AP News / ATS
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