Russian Anthem Heard at IOC Event After 10 Years

The Russian national anthem was played at an IOC event for the first time in 10 years, during the Paralympic Games. Alpine skier Varvara Voronchikhina won the gold medal on Monday, March 9.

Russian and Belarusian athletes are competing under their own flags again at the Winter Paralympic Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy, after years of participating as neutral athletes due to doping violations and military conflicts in Ukraine.

Voronchikhina, after winning a bronze medal in the downhill, finished first in the super-G race. During the award ceremony, the Russian flag was raised and the national anthem was played.

This is the first time the Russian national anthem has been heard at a major event since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the first time at the Paralympic Games since Sochi 2014, and the first at an IOC event since the Rio Olympics in 2016.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) lifted sanctions against Russia and Belarus in September 2025, a decision that sparked controversy. The International Olympic Committee maintained sanctions, allowing a limited number of athletes to compete as neutrals at the Milano-Cortina Olympics.