The Russian Olympic Committee turns 115 years old

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) turns 115 on March 29. From the very beginning, the organization faced a difficult task to protect the interests of our athletes. Despite the claims that sports are outside politics, especially recently, the whole world has clearly seen that this is not the case. But the Russian Olympic Committee is doing everything to restore justice.

Faster, higher, stronger are just three words of the Olympic motto that unite countries and continents, as well as the symbol of the Olympic Games — five intertwined rings.

"This is an association of people who go towards their goal, who know what it means not to give up," said Olympic handball champion Vladlena Bobrovnikova.

Athletes' sporting victories are the work of thousands of people who usually remain behind the scenes, but who cannot be dispensed with. When Russian gymnast Artur Dalaloyan won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, the audience had no idea that three months before the start, his Achilles tendon was torn and dozens of Olympic team doctors monitored his health day and night.

"The Olympic Committee, like its children, cares and worries about every athlete, and this is an important and touching story for me," Dalaloyan said.

Preparation, equipment, flights and relocations, accommodation of our team, assistance and support — the Russian Olympic Committee is working on the result.

"This is a movement that has its own philosophy, its own principles, which is not specified in the rules of any federation," said Vitaly Smirnov, Honorary President of the ROC.

The signatures on the document on the organization of the Russian Olympic Committee were signed on March 29, 1911. The first Olympic gold medal was won by figure skater Nikolai Panin-Kolomenkin.

Sports have always intersected with politics. The Olympics-80, recognized as one of the best in terms of organization and atmosphere, was boycotted by Western countries due to the outbreak of the war in Afghanistan. The 2014 sports festival in Sochi, impeccably organized, caused envy, which turned into a doping scandal that resulted in restrictions on Russian athletes, which the Olympic Committee is still fighting.

"Today we are working to regain our place in the global Olympic movement, to stop the treacherous discriminatory sanctions against our athletes," said Mikhail Degtyarev, Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation and President of the ROC.

Mass suspensions from participation in international competitions, participation with rare exceptions and only under a neutral status — without anthem and flag. But even in such difficult circumstances, the organizers tried to interfere with the Russian athletes. For example, Russian synchronized swimmers at the Tokyo Olympics had their music turned off during their performance.

The restrictions only add to the athletic anger. Figure skater Mark Kondratyuk at the Beijing Olympics with his sharp skate reminded of the strength of the Russian spirit, winning a medal of the highest standard in team competitions, but a doping scandal broke out. Figure skater Kamila Valieva was accused of doping, and the team gold went to the Americans, and the Russian team got the bronze. Numerous appeals did not help.

"A neutral status can probably be compared to the icy cold of an ice rink, which impedes movement from unaccustomed conditions. But this limitation, like a medal, has a downside, where resistance and overcoming are born," emphasized Izvestia correspondent Alexander Nadsadny.

Thanks to the efforts of the National Olympic Committee, the ice of restrictions was partially melted and our athletes returned to the international stage. The flag returned to judo as the first Olympic sport. Wrestlers under the age of 23 have already managed to go to the European Championships with him and take first place in the medal standings. All sanctions related to doping have been lifted from the All-Russian Athletics Federation. And the biggest sporting event will be the summer Youth Olympics, where athletes will be able to perform with a flag and an anthem.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, in congratulating the ROC on its 115th anniversary, noted that the Russian Federation is open to hosting both the summer and Winter Olympic Games. He recalled that the country was one of the founders of the International Olympic Committee and had been actively participating in the Games since 1900.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.