Who will carry the flag at the Olympics? Standard bearers whom the whole world knows. Why are symbols needed in competitions?

The Russian team was suspended from Olympic Games, but domestic athletes will still be able to take part in competitions, however, only in neutral status. I figured out what those wishing to go to Pyeongchang would have to sacrifice, and who else participated in the Games under the flag of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Without flag and anthem

The IOC's decision to exclude the Russian team from the upcoming Olympics in Pyeongchang produced the effect of a bomb exploding. The fragments caught everyone - from devoted fans of domestic biathletes crying bitterly on Match TV live, to ordinary people going through life with the motto: “How tired of this sport of yours.” However, with a greater degree of probability, you will still be able to cheer for our people in Korea - the head of the IOC took care of the fate of “clean” athletes, allowing them to compete under neutral flag. And the Russian President, for his part, blessed the Russian Olympians to travel to Pyeongchang under the IOC flag.

What does it mean? An athlete performs in a neutral status if for some reason he cannot represent his own country at the Games. By the way, the company Zasport, which caused a stir with the presentation of the Olympic equipment of the Russian team, was left with nothing - special equipment is provided for neutral athletes (without flags and other state symbols). Foresighted Nike began developing such a uniform for Russian athletes a few days before the announcement of the official IOC decision. However, Zasport was not at a loss - despite the sanctions, the collection will go on sale in mid-December. As experts say, the misadventures of domestic Olympians will only increase demand for the product.

The system of individual admission of Russian athletes to competitions was successfully tested at the World Athletics Championships in London this summer, and a year earlier at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Then only the long jumper went to Brazil. It is difficult to say what influenced her more: legal battles with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which allowed her to participate in the Games in a neutral status (later the IOC allowed her to compete under the Russian flag), or the curses of patriots that abundantly rained down on her (for which , that she lived and trained in the USA), but Klishina did not achieve success in Rio, ultimately finishing only in ninth place.

But Daria was not the favorite of that Olympics. Another thing is Maria Lasitskene and the Russian elite athletics they were not allowed to participate in the 2016 Games, despite protests, appeals to the court and attempts to reach out to the IAAF individually. Isinbaeva, who never recovered from the blow to the back, retired, and Shubenkov and Lasitskene performed well at the world championship a year later - Sergei won a silver medal in the 110-meter hurdles, and Maria became the champion in the high jump. True, the Russian anthem was never played in the capital of Brazil - Shubenkov and Lasitskene performed in a neutral status. These are the rules.

After the victory, Lasitskene admitted that she didn’t really like competing in this form. “I also really wanted to run a lap of honor with the Russian flag. “I really wanted to hear the anthem of my homeland,” the athlete lamented, looking at her rivals, who celebrated winning medals in a more familiar style - wrapped in the flags of their countries, they joyfully posed for photographers. The Russian woman stood modestly aside - it wasn’t that she couldn’t take the flag, she was even forbidden to paint her nails in its color. Unpleasant? Undoubtedly. But there are only two ways out of this situation - to agree and fully comply with the conditions put forward, or to completely abandon international competitions.

IN this moment a clear procedure for admitting Russians to the Olympics and the final composition of domestic participants in the Games have not been determined. The IOC only announced that those wishing to perform will undergo special doping control. However, our athletes have no reason to be too worried - after all, a similar algorithm was used before, and the Russians sought the right to take to the start line.

Photo: Wang Lili/Xinhua via ZUMA Wire

If domestic athletes nevertheless decide to go to Pyeongchang, they will not be the first to compete at the Games under the Olympic flag. History knows many examples of independent athletes participating in Olympic Games. However, in some ways the Russians will still be the first - never before has an entire country been disqualified due to doping. Politics, corruption and even the collapse of states - all this happened, but doping - for the first time in history.

Before 1980, the IOC banned athletes many times different countries participate in the Olympics. The sanctions included the USSR (due to the difference in the ideas of communism and Olympism), fascist Germany (for obvious reasons), South Africa (due to the apartheid regime) and a number of other states. Until 1980, not a single athlete was allowed to compete under the IOC flag.

Summer Olympics 1980 in Moscow

For the first time, the world saw athletes competing under the Olympic flag at summer games 1980 in Moscow. Then several athletes from Western countries received neutral status. That Olympics took place at the height of the Cold War - as a result, the United States and 62 other countries boycotted it. The reason was the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. The American president called on the IOC to move the Games to Greece and set ultimatums to the USSR government, but did not achieve what he wanted. As a result, many Western countries ignored the competition. A number of states did not go to Moscow for economic and political reasons, and Iran, Mozambique and Qatar did not receive invitations from the IOC.

Representatives from Australia, Andorra, Belgium, Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, San Marino, France and Switzerland competed under the Olympic flag. Spaniards, Portuguese and New Zealanders also arrived in Moscow, but competed under the flags of their national Olympic committees, not their countries. Among the neutral athletes were the champions of those Games - the Italian judoist Ezio Gamba, who later became the head coach and general manager of the Russian judo team (it is with his name that the triumph of Russian judokas at the 2012 Olympic Games is associated) and the British runner Sebastian Coe, who took the post in 2015 President of the IAAF and took direct part in the suspension of Russian athletes. By the way, Coe competed in the uniform of the British national team, then the IOC had nothing against it.

1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville

After the final collapse of the USSR in December 1991, a huge number of athletes from Russia and the former Soviet republics found themselves in limbo - the old state disappeared from the political map of the world, and the new one had enough problems without sports. Naturally, the IOC was of little interest in this - things were falling apart, and the Olympics were on schedule. In February 1992, the Winter Games were held in Albertville, France.

Athletes from Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine competed in France all together - the United Team (that was the official name of that non-existent country’s team) competed under the Olympic flag. As a result, the former Soviet athletes won 23 medals (9 of them gold) and took second place in the team event, losing only to the Germans, who won one more highest award. The Olympic anthem was played at the awards ceremony.

Photo: Igor Utkin; Alexander Yakovlev / TASS

1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona

In August of the same year, there were already 12 participating countries participating in the Unified Team. Only Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia refused to join their former compatriots. Representatives of the former USSR were not considered neutral athletes - all medals were counted towards the Unified Team, and the anthem of a particular country was played at the award ceremonies.

The combined team won 112 medals (including 45 gold) and took first place overall, beating out the Americans and Germans, who came in second and third respectively.

“Independent Olympic athletes” first appeared at the Games in Barcelona - due to sanctions against Yugoslavia and Macedonia, the IOC did not allow these countries to participate in the 1992 Olympic Games, as a result of which 58 athletes competed in a neutral status in 13 events. Independent athletes won three medals, all in bullet shooting- Jasna Shekaric went home with silver, Aranka Binder and - with bronze awards.

Summer Olympics 2000 in Sydney

In 2000, East Timor distinguished itself. The country was in the process of gaining independence from Indonesia and simply did not have a national Olympic committee. Four athletes arrived in Sydney, competing with the Olympic flag behind their shoulders and East Timor in their hearts. None of them gained fame as expected - weightlifter Martinho de Araujo took 20th place, the boxer lost in the first fight, marathon runners Calisto da Costa and Agida Amaral took 71st place among men and 43rd place among women, respectively.

And more about flags. At the opening ceremony of the 2000 Olympics, athletes from Northern and South Korea For the first time they marched in a united front. Then the countries were closer than ever, and at the parade the Koreans marched under a unified flag, which was carried by two standard bearers at the same time - in the center of the white cloth was the blue silhouette of the Korean Peninsula.

Summer Olympics 2012 in London

Athletes from the Netherlands Antilles went to the Games in London under the Olympic flag. In 2010, the state came into existence as a result of constitutional reform. As a result, the country's National Olympic Committee was expelled from the IOC membership, and athletes who made it to the Olympics were offered a choice - to compete under the Olympic flag or represent the Netherlands or Aruba. Three went to London in a neutral status - runner Limarvin Bonevasia (reached the semi-finals at a distance of 400 meters), judoka Reginald de Windt (dropped out in the first round, losing to the Russian, who subsequently won the bronze medal) and Philippe van Aanholt, who took 36th place in sailing competitions).

There was another independent athlete in London - marathon runner Guor Marial, born in South Sudan. During the games, the country had already gained independence, but did not have time to acquire a national committee. The independent athlete finished 47th.

Winter Olympics 2014 in Sochi

In December 2012, the IOC disqualified the Olympic Association of India (OAI). The government of the country intervened in the election of the new composition of the organization, which contradicts the requirements of the IOC. As a result, the Indians went to Sochi under the Olympic flag. Only luger Shiva Keshavan had a chance to perform under it. He participated in the races on February 8-9 and took 37th place in the singles competition. Two days later, the IOC reinstated the OAI, and two other athletes were given the opportunity to compete under the Indian flag: skier Nadeem Iqbal finished 85th in the 15 km race classic style, and alpine skier Himanshu Thakur became 72nd in the giant slalom.

Nine Kuwaiti athletes arrived in Brazil under the Olympic flag - they took part in competitions in skeet shooting, swimming and fencing. The IOC considered that the country's government interfered in the activities of the National Olympic Committee and deprived it of accreditation.

The highest result in Rio was achieved by shooter Fehaid ad-Dikhani. He won gold medal in the double ladder. His compatriot Abdullah al-Rashidi won bronze in the monastery. At the medal ceremony, proud neutral athletes listened to the IOC anthem.

He called on future participants of the 2018 Winter Olympics from Russia to take small flags and symbols of the regions to Pyeongchang in order to compensate for the absence of the national tricolor at the site of the events. The senator also intends to address through social networks to fans going to support athletes in Korea.

According to Poletaev’s idea, sports fans should definitely support his impulse.

“The Russian tricolor, in accordance with the decision of the International Olympic Committee, cannot be carried to our athletes who will compete at the Olympics,” the politician said. -

But if they carry flags of 85 Russian regions, this will not be a violation, and Russian symbols and Russia will thereby be represented at the Games.”

Poletaev is confident that some senators will go to Pyeongchang as ordinary fans. He expects his colleagues to follow his call.

Earlier, the IOC executive committee decided to exclude Russia from the 2018 Olympics. Only individual athletes who have not had problems with doping in the past and have not served a disqualification on this issue will be able to compete at the Games. The possibility of participation of each of them will be considered by a special IOC commission on an individual basis.

The presence of many people in Korea is considered undesirable Russian coaches and sports officials.

The Deputy Prime Minister for Sports and the former Deputy Minister of Sports have been banned for life from any activities related to the Olympic movement.

Chapter Olympic Committee Russia (OCR) lost his membership in the IOC and received an indefinite suspension (with the right to reinstatement) due to sanctions imposed on the organization he heads. The former head of the Sochi 2014 organizing committee, and now the boss of the Continental hockey league(KHL).

At the same time, some other functionaries, although not named by name, are included in the secret “stop list” of the IOC. First of all, this concerns those individuals who were part of the official Russian delegation at the 2014 Games.

In the current situation, the president of the Russian Hockey Federation (RHF) plans to go to Pyeongchang as a simple fan.

“I’m not worried at all, if I’m not allowed, I’ll go as a fan. There is no excitement,” Tretyak said.

The powers of the initiator of the idea to provide athletes with regional flags, Senator Poletaev, expire in September 2019. He is deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Rules and Organization of Parliamentary Activities. In 2016, together with two colleagues, he came up with a proposal to tighten responsibility for desecration of the Russian anthem.

According to the bill, those who insult the Russian anthem are subject to punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to a year or forced labor for up to one year.

Poletaev regularly comes out with various initiatives. Among other things, he spoke out for revising the schoolchildren training system and the Unified State Examination assessment system. The senator is a supporter of the introduction of a “road map” aimed at improving the road transport situation in Russia by improving the quality of training and testing the knowledge of drivers in driving schools.

Political strategist Vyacheslav reacted to Poletaev’s initiative regarding the symbols of the regions with a fair amount of skepticism. In his opinion, the activity of some officials is more like attempts to justify themselves instead of taking responsibility for current position business

“There are two approaches here. The first is that if we didn’t succeed, then crutches won’t save us. And such a proposal looks like crutches. Instead of statements from the Federation Council, our Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Sports should think about resignation as the softest option,” Ivanov told Gazeta.Ru. -

Everything is very sad, and we see attempts to justify ourselves instead of taking responsibility and leaving our positions.

Another thing is that it is pointless to boycott the Olympics, but those of our athletes who will go to it must understand that they are “kamikazes”, because they will try in every possible way to remove them from competitions and look for doping. And there is a danger that many of them will simply bury their careers by coming to Pyeongchang, because everything is not over yet, and our athletes will simply be finished off. And with what symbols they will be finished off, no one is interested anymore.”

Ivanov does not exclude that athletes from Russia who manage to prove themselves at the Games will then fail doping control - and not necessarily due to the actual use of prohibited substances.

“When they say that for many this may be the only or the last Olympics in life, you need to understand that there they will be treated as outcasts who have lost the fight to prove that it was all a slander,” the expert believes. -

And if someone shows them good results, it cannot be ruled out that their doping tests will ultimately be positive.

Therefore, if we were the athletes, we should still think about whether to go or not in order to try to avoid bad consequences, but if we were the officials, it would be time for them to retire.”

Other news, materials and statistics can be found at winter species sports, as well as in groups of the sports department on social networks

At these very minutes, the opening ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Games is taking place in Pyeongchang. And just a few minutes ago, during the traditional parade of athletes, the Russian team walked in front of an audience of thousands. Under a neutral (Olympic) flag.

At the opening ceremony of the XXIII Winter Games in the Republic of Korea Russian athletes appeared led by a volunteer who carried a neutral flag (previously, the standard bearer was always one of the athletes, a representative of the Russian team).

It must be said that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not only deprived our athletes of the opportunity to march under their native flag, but also carried out a “cleansing” of Russian national symbols at the Games in Pyeongchang on all other fronts - in Korea now there is practically not a single image with a flag to be found Russia.

At the same time, the media note that there is a possibility that the Russian flag will appear at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Olympics. This can happen if the Russian Olympic Committee is restored by the IOC by that time.

What is a neutral (Olympic) flag

The neutral (Olympic) flag is a white canvas with a olympic symbol in the form of five intertwined rings (blue, yellow, black, green and red), symbolizing the unity of the five continents.

Athletes from countries that have been temporarily deprived of IOC recognition or are in the process of formation compete under this flag. A number of other circumstances are provided for. Thus, in 2014, the Indian team competed under a neutral flag due to the suspension of the membership of their Olympic committees, and in 2016, the Kuwait team.

There have been cases where athletes of their own free will (usually due to political reasons) tried to take part in the Olympics under a neutral flag, but the IOC rejected their requests.

Why Russia passed under a neutral flag

ABOUT doping scandal and, perhaps, everyone has already heard about Russia, which found itself in its center.

In early December last year, the International Olympic Committee decided to disqualify the Russian Olympic Committee and admit only “clean” Russian athletes to the Games.

Russians' opinion

The majority of Russians, 48 ​​percent, supported participation Russian team at the Pyeongchang Olympics under a neutral flag. In particular, Russian President Vladimir Putin shares this opinion.

We, without any doubt, will not declare any blockade, we will not prevent our Olympians from taking part if any of them wants to take part in a personal capacity,

Putin said, noting that the athletes “have been moving toward this competition throughout their entire lives.”

However, 34 percent of respondents still said that the Games should be boycotted.

Photo Gettyimages.ru

The Olympic Games began in southern Greece in the city of Olympia. The original program of the games included a one-leg race. Then the program began to be supplemented with new types of competitions: running in two stages, 24, with weapons. Then pentathlon, chariot racing, fist fight and struggle.

The reward for the winner was an olive branch, and the residents of the city, of which the champion was a representative, presented him with gifts, provided him with a place in the theater for free, and exempted him from taxes.

These traditions of the Olympic Games have been preserved for eleven centuries. Afterwards, a change in the content and nature of the competition began to be observed.

The Olympic Games of antiquity ceased to exist. This happened due to a change in worldview and the dominant religion.

Banner at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games

What role does it play? The opening of the Olympic Games begins with the raising of the Olympic flag on the stadium flagpole without a gold border. The banner is made by the country that hosts the competition on its territory. During the closure, the country in which the competition was held transfers the Olympic flag to the state in which it is planned to be held in four years. But it already has a gold border.

Other game symbols

The Olympic flame, as one of the significant and important symbols of the competitions in question, is lit from a parabolic mirror in Greece. Then the fire is transferred from one athlete to another athlete and sweeps across all five continents. On the opening day of the Olympics, the torch is passed to the venue, which symbolizes the beginning of the games.

The host party chooses the Olympic mascot at its discretion. It has always been this way. Usually the mascot is some kind of animal. Where did this symbol come from? The talisman was born not so long ago - in 1968. And in 1972, in Munich, Waldi the dachshund was recognized as the first official mascot.

The motto of the Olympics is the Latin words “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (“Faster, higher, stronger”).

Gold, silver and bronze are awarded to athletes who win competitions. If this team appearance sports, then each member of the team receives medals. Competition organizers themselves develop their own unique award design.

The anthem of the Olympic Games (sounds during their opening and closing) was written by a Greek composer. It has also already been heard by many sports fans and adherents healthy image life.

The Oath of the Olympics was written by Pierre Coubertin. Later it was slightly changed.

The olive branch means a symbol of calm and truce, and the Olympic fireworks warn of the closure of the competition.

The competition emblems symbolize different kinds competitions. For example, a skier personifies skiing types sports.

Why are symbols needed in competitions?

Traditions expressed in symbols help to feel the importance and significance of the Olympics and the unity of all countries. And that means all five continents.

The Olympic Games currently taking place are steeped in symbols and traditions. During them, many television viewers closely follow the impressive spectacle, the success of the athletes or teams they support. However, back at the end of the 19th century, there were much fewer Olympic attributes. Now the number of different symbols is only increasing. Their main goal is to promote the Olympic Games.

In addition to the main one, there is another version of creating so many symbols - this is a source of income for the organizing committee. Therefore, the number of products sold with the symbols of the Olympic Games is only increasing. Now we know what the Olympic flag and other competition symbols look like.

On the eve of the Pyeongchang Games, “Olympic athletes from Russia” will have to resolve another explosive issue - the person who will carry the IOC banner in front of the Russian delegation on February 9 at the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony of the next Olympics is a unique moment, almost the most solemn of the entire Games. It is here that the participating teams parade with a solemn parade, the best artists perform, vows are taken and finally the light is lit. olympic flame. Tickets for the ceremonies are always the most expensive and are sold out many months in advance. The central moment of any opening is the parade of athletes. Most teams announce the names of their flag bearers just a few days before the start of the Games. Almost always these are outstanding athletes, symbols of their country. And Russia is, of course, no exception in this regard. On latest Games The flag of our country was carried at the opening by a volleyball player, a bobsledder, and a tennis player. The irony is that in the end, two of these trio received doping charges and were disqualified...

The Russian team at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi. Photo by Alexander FEDOROV, "SE"

INTRIGUE ONE: WILL OURS GO TO THE OPENING?

As is known, there will be no Russian flag at the opening of the Games in Pyeongchang - due to IOC sanctions following an investigation into the “Russian doping” story. Nevertheless, our athletes, who receive permission from the IOC to compete in the status of “Olympic athletes from Russia” (OAR), will most likely appear at the stadium. In any case, if this does not happen, there will be a new scandal.

Our delegation obviously will not have any special desire to go to the stadium. Not everyone aspired to the opening of the Olympics even in good circumstances, when we had our own flag and our own uniform. Any such ceremony means for participating athletes a minimum of three hours of waiting in the tribune area, then walking in a circle - and who knows how many more hours to get to the room in Olympic Village. And all this for the sake of a matter of minutes when you pass in the center of an overflowing bowl. Athletes who perform in the first days of the Games almost never appear at the opening, and the rest also appear in a very selective order. You can always invite officials and service personnel for extras.

However, this all happened before. This time we will have an absolute minimum of officials and personnel. And if athletes suddenly refuse to walk through the stadium under the IOC flag, this will certainly be interpreted by international functionaries as sabotage. Historically, absolutely all teams were represented at the opening, regardless of whether they had a national flag: refugees, representatives of suspended national Olympic committees and others. Surely the same fate awaits our UAR sheep.

Delegation of the CIS team in the Olympic Albertville 1992. At the opening ceremony of the Games, the IOC flag was carried by Valery MEDVEDTSEV. Photo by Igor Utkin and Alexander YAKOVLEV, ITAR-TASS

INTRIGUING TWO: WILL THERE BE A STAR-BEARER?

There are possible options here. Anything has happened in history: for example, at the opening of the 2014 Games in Sochi, athletes from India, who competed without their own flag, did not carry the IOC flag - it was held by a volunteer girl accompanying the delegation. And in Barcelona 92, our great wrestler personally carried the Olympic flag at the head of the United Team. It is still unclear what will happen in Pyeongchang 2018. The first vice-president of the Russian Olympic Committee was unavailable for comment. The IOC press service provided SE with the following statement:

All such issues are resolved by the working group. The IOC will issue operational guidance for the implementation of the group's recommendations at the appropriate time, as outlined in the December 5 executive committee decision.

Apparently, the decision on the standard bearer has not yet been made. Both options have obvious disadvantages. If the IOC does not grant us the right to fly the flag, this may be perceived in the country as another humiliation. If it does, the big question is whether there will be anyone willing to go to the ceremony not with their own national flag.

INTRIGUE THIRD: WHO WILL CARRY THE FLAG?

If there is a standard bearer, the choice of his candidacy will be the most difficult in history. This person will most likely face criticism, there will be unpleasant comments under the photograph with his image, and he himself risks becoming a symbol of national shame.

Most likely, none of the athletes will undertake such a mission. So, all that remains is to choose among officials or coaches. After all, the rules do not prohibit a flag being carried by a person who will not compete at the next Olympics. For example, the same Pozdnyakov - by the way, four-time Olympic champion in fencing. When a ship sinks, the captain must be the last to leave. So it is here: when a team is in a critical situation, it is logical for its leader to shoulder the burden of responsibility.

Standard bearers of the Russian national team at Winter Olympics. Photo "SE"