CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Russia’s national anthem rang out at the Paralympics for the first time in more than a decade after Para alpine skier Varvara Voronchikhina won gold on Monday.
Russian athletes are back competing under their own flag in the Winter Paralympics at Milan Cortina, after years of having to do so as neutral athletes because of the country’s doping violations and military conflicts.
The 23-year-old Voronchikhina, who claimed bronze in the downhill two days earlier, finished first in the women’s super-G standing competition.
With the Russian flag flying high during the podium ceremony shortly after the event, the anthem was played and Voronchikhina sang along, smiling. She raised her right hand to apparently wipe away tears only a few seconds in.
When it was over, she raised both her arms to celebrate as the crowd applauded.
There was also applause when her name was announced as the gold medalist during the ceremony.
It is the first time Russia’s anthem has been played at a major global sporting event since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the first time to be heard at the Paralympics since the 2014 Games in Sochi.
“It’s really special for me because I can see my flag on my friends who arrived here,” she said. “Maybe now I can’t believe it, and I don’t understand what happened. Maybe a little bit later I (will) see my gold medal. It’s so special for me really.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “I have a big support in my family and my friends and all people in Russia.”
The Russian national anthem for a gold medal win had not been heard at any Olympics or Paralympics since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games.
Russian athletes were initially banned because of a state-sponsored doping program, and the sanctions had continued after the invasion.
Russia arrived at Milan Cortina with six athletes. The International Paralympic Committee gave wildcard entries to Russian athletes, a decision that upset Ukraine and a few other nations that boycotted the opening ceremony on Friday. Athletes from Russia’s close ally Belarus also were allowed to compete under wildcard entries.
There were some boos toward the Russian delegation in the ceremony in Verona, and some rival athletes have criticized the Russian presence at Milan Cortina.
“There is war and we are against war,” said wheelchair curler Polina Rozkova of Latvia, one of the countries that boycotted the opening ceremony. “It’s not allowed (to have a) country under their own flag when their country is attacking another country.”
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AP Sports Writer Daniella Matar contributed to this report from Milan.
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AP Winter Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games
