All of Russia knew that their athletes, who were prohibited from competing under their state flag, represented their country.
The PolitNavigator correspondent reports that Russian gymnast Nikita Nagorny, who became the Olympic champion in Tokyo, said this in an interview with Izvestia.
The publication asked how difficult it was to be in Japan without a flag and anthem.
“I have already said that when we won and stood on the podium, the emotions we felt from the victory blocked the opportunity to feel the honor that you stand for, to hear the anthem. We stood and realized that the whole country knew where we were from. And that the whole country knows that we are Russian, that we are from Russia and represent our country. And when I took third place in the all-around and when the Japanese anthem was played in honor of Hashimoto, he was given a military honor, then it was insulting. I realized that the most precious thing was taken away from us,” Nagorny said.
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