Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
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Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, Presidential Aide and Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sports Alexey Dyumin, and Minister of Sport and Chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev discussed the history of the Russian Olympic movement and its future prospects.
Russia was at the origins of modern Olympism. In 1894, General Alexei Butovsky, a subject of the Russian Empire, became one of the first 13 members of the IOC. In 1900, Russian athletes made their debut at the Paris Games, and in 1908, figure skater Nikolai Panin-Kolomenkin won the country's first gold medal.
"I congratulate the Russian Olympic Committee on 115 years of fruitful work and glorious victories! Today, the ROC continues these traditions: protecting the rights of our athletes, creating conditions for their training, and doing everything possible to advance Russian sport. During this time, we have won 2,006 Olympic medals. This is the result of the perseverance of several generations of our athletes. Behind each medal lies a unique story of fortitude and willpower. We are proud of our winners and are working together to ensure that Russian sport only improves, and that our athletes continue to bring glory to the country on the international stage," emphasized Dmitry Chernyshenko.
In the Russian Empire, the National Olympic Committee was established on March 16 (March 29, New Style), 1911. On this day, the first Chairman of the Committee, Vyacheslav Sreznevsky, was elected at the founding meeting in St. Petersburg. The organization's draft Charter was also adopted on this day.
The USSR team participated in nine Summer and nine Winter Games. The 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo brought our country its first overall team victory.
Since 1994, Russian athletes have competed at the Games under the Russian tricolor.
"Today, despite all the unfair restrictions, Russia remains and will remain a great sporting power. I hope that the principles laid down by the founders of the Olympic movement will once again prevail in the international sports community: sport should be above politics, serve the cause of peace, and unite nations. I congratulate our athletes, coaches, Olympic movement veterans, and sports figures on the 115th anniversary of the Olympic Committee! I wish us all continued victories!" emphasized Alexey Dyumin.
At the Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo Games, our athletes once again proved they can't be "cancelled." Thirteen Russian athletes competed in six sports. Nikita Filippov won silver in ski mountaineering, a sport making its debut at the Games. Skier Saveliy Korostelev took fourth place in the skiathlon, and figure skaters Petr Gumennik and Adelia Petrosyan performed brilliantly. Furthermore, for the first time in 12 years, our Paralympians competed under the national flag in Italy. A total of six athletes won 12 medals, including eight gold. Ultimately, Russia finished in the top three in the overall team standings, behind only China and the United States, whose teams each included 70 athletes.
"The results in Italy demonstrated that Russian sport remains part of the global Olympic movement. The reinstatement of our athletes will continue, we will see even more victories, and the Russian anthem will be heard more frequently at international competitions. The IOC has already lifted restrictions on the participation of Russian juniors in international competitions, the Russian flag is being raised, and the anthem is being played at dozens of European and world championships. Looking forward to the full reinstatement of the Russian Olympic Committee, the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal in the fall of 2026, and the 2028 Olympic Games in the United States, for which we are already preparing the team," noted Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev.
The main national tournament of 2026 will be the Spartakiad of the Peoples of Russia among the strongest athletes. It will be held in August and September in seven Russian regions. More than 9,000 athletes are expected to participate. This will mark the beginning of the Olympic team selection process for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
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