Music by 19th-century composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky has been approved by the IOC to replace the Russian national anthem at the Olympics in Tokyo and Beijing.
Music from Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 will play in medal ceremonies when Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) athletes or teams win gold at the Olympics this summer and next winter, according to the ROC.
In December, Russia was banned for two years from displaying its country name alone on uniforms, using its anthem and displaying its flag at senior world championships and the Olympics.
Russian athletes will compete under the acronym ROC for the Russian Olympic Committee.
Russian officials said in the winter that they wanted to use music from Tchaikovsky to replace the anthem.
Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 was also approved by the International Skating Union to replace the Russian anthem at speed skating and figure skating world championships earlier this year.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport blocked Russia’s first choice for the Olympics, the patriotic folk song “Katyusha.” It cited a provision in the December ruling that the team couldn’t use “any anthem linked to Russia.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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