Table of contents:
- What is a neutral flag?
- Why do athletes fly under a neutral flag, and not under the flag of their country?
- To fly under our own or neutral flag - what's the difference?
- If an athlete cannot compete for his country, why should he even go to the Olympics?
- Athletes from which countries have already played under the neutral flag?
- Why are they suddenly talking about a neutral flag today?
2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44
Suddenly everyone around them started talking about the neutral flag. Life hacker is in a hurry to tell what it is and what role it plays in the fate of Russian athletes at the upcoming Olympics in Pyeongchang.
What is a neutral flag?
This is a traditional Olympic flag - a white cloth with intertwined rings of blue, black, red, yellow and green. They symbolize the five parts of the world.
The flag was invented by the French sportsman Pierre de Coubertin in 1913. For the first time, the new symbol was presented at the VII Summer Olympics in Antwerp in 1920.
Why do athletes fly under a neutral flag, and not under the flag of their country?
This usually happens because the country's national Olympic committee is not recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). For example, due to political conflicts: a war broke out in the state, a military coup took place.
A country can itself refuse an invitation to send a team or an athlete to the Olympics for some internal (most often, again, political) reasons.
But all athletes who have passed the Olympic selection have the right to decide on participation in the Olympic Games on their own. In this case, they go out under a neutral flag.
To fly under our own or neutral flag - what's the difference?
At the opening and closing ceremonies, the Olympic flag will be raised instead of the country's flag. At competitions, athletes will not be able to use national symbols, including in clothing. If they win, the IOC anthem will be played, not the national anthem.
If an athlete cannot compete for his country, why should he even go to the Olympics?
The opportunity to perform under a neutral flag is provided in order not to ruin the athlete's career and give him a chance to prove himself. He has been preparing for the Olympics for four years. This is a lot of work.
All medals won under the neutral flag are included in the personal track record of the athlete himself.
Athletes from which countries have already played under the neutral flag?
In 1980, athletes from countries that boycotted the Moscow Olympics competed under a neutral flag. Among them are the current president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Sebastian Coe, judoka Ezio Gamba, high jumper Sara Simeoni.
Athletes from India, South Sudan, East Timor, the Netherlands Antilles, Kuwait, and the former Yugoslavia went under the IOC flag in different years. At the 2016 Olympic Games, which were held in Rio, a team of refugees from Syria, South Sudan and Ethiopia performed under a neutral flag.
At the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, in honor of the victories of our athletes, the IOC flag was raised and the Olympic anthem played. Then the Russians were members of the united team. It includes athletes from the former republics of the USSR.
Why are they suddenly talking about a neutral flag today?
The International Olympic Committee decided to allow Russian athletes to participate in the Winter Olympics, which will be held in South Korean Pyeongchang from February 9 to 25, 2018, not under their own, but under a neutral flag. The reason is a doping scandal. Because of him, the IOC suspended the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee.
Which of our athletes will be able to perform at the upcoming Olympic Games will be determined by the special commission. It will include representatives from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the SportAccord Anti-Doping Unit (DFSU) and the IOC.
Russians participating in individual or team competitions at the Olympics under a neutral flag will receive the Olympic Athlete from Russia status.
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