Russia has had a bad name at the Olympics over its long running doping saga, so the country has decided on a rebrand
Athletes competing in the 2020 Tokyo Games won’t be competing under the Russian flag’s national colours, but instead they’ll be part of the Russian Olympic Committee.
How has it changed from the 2018 winter olympics?
The new rules — are an evolution of the “OAR” restrictions used at the 2018 Winter Olympics
You won’t see the Russian flag above any podiums but the national colours are on the uniforms.
Officially the athletes will represent not their country, but the ROC, and Russia’s name, flag and anthem are banned.
Russian red, white and blue on uniforms are fine — the blocks of colour on the official tracksuits form one big flag — but not the word “Russia,” the flag itself or other national symbols.
Doping cases old and new still cast a shadow over the team. Two swimmers from the Tokyo team have been suspended for cases dating back years.
Despite the name change, Russia will have a nearly full team at the Olympics.
Official Olympic paperwork and TV graphics will attribute Russian results to “ROC” but won’t spell out the Russian Olympic Committee’s name in full.
Gold medalists will get music by Russian composer Tchaikovsky instead of the country’s national anthem.
Russia is sending more than 330 athletes to Tokyo, with the exact number still unclear
