Small but symbolic step for Russia on the path to the Olympics at Dakar
At the opening day of the Dakar Youth Olympic Games, Russia's national anthem was played on the podium for a Russian swimmer who won first place. The moment is seen as a symbolic step in Moscow's effort to return to the international stage.
On the opening day of the Dakar Youth Olympic Games, Russia's national anthem was played at a medal ceremony in the swimming pool in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The moment is seen as a small but symbolic step in Moscow's effort to regain its place in international sport.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in 2023. That decision followed the ROC's recognition of regional Olympic councils in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia. Two years later, the IOC stated that young athletes should not be held responsible for the actions of their governments, and it called on international federations to allow Russian young athletes to return to international competitions without restrictions.
The results of this policy change began to show in Dakar. Thirteen Russian athletes are competing in nine sports, including swimming, judo and skateboarding. On the opening day, 17-year-old swimmer Serafima Fokina won the gold medal in the women's 100 metre butterfly by finishing first. On the podium, she smiled and sang along to the national anthem while holding her gold medal. Last week, Fokina told Reuters that she was happy and proud. The young swimmer later won another gold medal in the women's 50 metre butterfly.
Not everyone at the ceremony was pleased. One spectator refused to stand while the Russian national anthem was played. French sports geopolitics expert Jean-Baptiste Guegan said that Europeans, and the European Union in particular, strongly oppose this return. National federations in Norway, Denmark and Sweden, meanwhile, announced that their teams will not compete against Russia in international events.
The Russian government sees the participation of its athletes as a political victory. Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev described the Dakar Olympics last month in a post on Telegram as an important step toward the full return of all Russian sport to the international stage without restrictions. Russian athletes had competed as neutral athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
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