IOC Settles On Tchaikovsky Piece As Music For Russian Olympic Medal Winners - ROC

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd April, 2021) The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced its decision to allow a fragment from Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 to be played during the Russian athletes' medal ceremonies in the Tokyo and Beijing Games, the Russian Olympic Committee said on Thursday.

Russian athletes have been barred from competing in major international events, including the Olympics, under the Russian flag and with the national anthem until December 2022, following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over doping accusations. In March, Russia requested the IOC to permit Tchaikovsky's music for the Olympic medal winners.

"As of today, our Olympic team has all the elements of its identity. We have the flag of the Russian Olympic Committee with the colors of our tricolor, our official equipment, which is easily recognizable for both our compatriots and fans from other countries even without any inscriptions. And now we have musical accompaniment," Stanislav Pozdnyakov, the ROC president, said in a statement.

The CAS previously denied Russia's appeal to replace the national anthem with the song "Katyusha" at the world championships during the sanctioned period.