Beijing Olympics

In News

The Russian athletes taking part at the Beijing Olympics will be competing without their flag and national anthem because of doping sanctions.

Why are there sanctions against Russia?

• World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) imposed sanctions against RUSADA, Russia’s national anti-doping agency, in December 2019. The measures carried a series of consequences for Russian sport on the global stage.
• The agency had been declared “non-compliant” by WADA in November 2015 after a report found evidence of mass doping in Russian athletics.
• The WADA sanctions, among other things, barred Russia from flying its flag at major sporting events for a four-year period. The sanctions were later halved after a Russian appeal.

What does this mean for Russian athletes in Beijing?

• The Russian delegation in Beijing, which includes 212 athletes, cannot display the country’s tricolour flag or any national emblems or symbols.
• Instead of representing Russia, athletes are competing as representatives of the Russian Olympic Committee under the acronym “ROC”.
• Their uniforms bear the logo of the Russian Olympic Committee — three flames in the colours of the national flag with the Olympic rings below them — instead of Russia’s flag.
• Russian Olympic champions will be awarded their gold medals to Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1, which was selected to replace the national anthem.

What Russia had to Say?

• Russia has acknowledged some shortcomings in its implementation of anti-doping rules but denies running a state-sponsored doping programme.

Extra Shots

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

• The World Anti-Doping Agency is a foundation initiated by the International Olympic Committee based in Canada to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against drugs in sports.
• WADA’s mission is to lead a collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport by developing, harmonizing, coordinating and monitoring anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries.
• It was founded in 1999.