Deputy Zhurova proposed holding the Olympics without anthems and flags
The Olympic Games should become games of athletes, not countries, State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova said in a conversation with Lenta.ru. They proposed changing the format of the competition so that all athletes would participate without anthems and flags.
“I have a proposal to the International Olympic Committee (IOC): to hold the games in accordance with the charter, so that they are competitions of athletes, not countries. And then the Olympics will become a powerful, serious forum where athletes will compete without flags, on an individual basis. The best of the best will compete. And it will be possible to come to our Friendship Games with flags,” the deputy suggested.
According to Zhurova, the Olympic Games will thus become a powerful commercial competition; many sponsors will appear who would like to take part in them. And this, according to the politician, would take many sports to a new level.
“Maybe there will be some club and group competitions. The same football or hockey, for example, this would take it to a new level. Now almost no one watches the Olympic football tournaments, and few could say who won the previous competitions,” noted Zhurova.
Earlier, the head of the IOC warned that participants in the Friendship Games, which will be held in September 2024 in Moscow and Yekaterinburg, may have problems with the Olympics.
Source: Lenta

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