Kremlin proud of Russian Olympic medalists in Tokyo, says presidential spokesman

MOSCOW, July 27. /TASS/. The Kremlin is proud of the national team’s results at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. "We are proud of our Olympic medalists," Peskov said addressing a daily news briefing. "You all know well that the past day was a very fruitful one for medals, particularly gold medals." Peskov added that President Vladimir Putin had extended his congratulatory messages to all Russian Olympic medalists. One of the medals won by Russian athletes in Tokyo, was the landmark gold by swimmer Yevgeny Rylov, who clinched the gold in the 100m men’s backstroke event and President Putin extended his personal congratulations to the 24-year-old swimmer. Rylov’s win in Tokyo handed Russia its first Olympic gold in the sport of swimming in 25 years. The last time was at the US-hosted 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, when Russian swimmers Alexander Popov and Denis Pankratov won gold medals. That year Popov won two golds (50m freestyle and 100m freestyle) and Pankratov brought home two more golds (100m butterfly and 200m butterfly). As of today, the Russian national team in Tokyo - participating under the name of the Team ROC (the Russian Olympic Committee) due to international sanctions against Russian sports - boasts five gold, seven silver and four bronze medals. The 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Japan’s capital of Tokyo are being held this year between July 23 and August 8. In March 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Japan for one year due to the spread of COVID-19. Russia at Tokyo-2020 On July 6, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) published an approved list of 335 athletes, who were selected to represent the country at the Summer Olympic Games. The Olympic delegation of Russian athletes in Tokyo includes 185 female and 150 male athletes. These Russian athletes are competing in Tokyo under the flag and logo of the Russian National Olympic Committee (ROC) instead of the Russian national flag and state emblem. Likewise, the national anthem of Russia has been barred due to the said sanctions at the Olympics in Japan. Read more