"Two years ago the Kremlin could not have been more frigid about the Paris Olympics. In fact, the few Russians who competed as authorised neutral athletes, after they were vetted to check they did not explicitly support the war in Ukraine, were criticised. Irina Viner, Russia's rhythmic gymnastics president, even went as far as to call those who went traitors, and suggested that only homeless athletes competed without their flag and anthem."
"As Russia's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said before the Games: I'll definitely be watching wherever our guys perform. It's a must-see. That view was vociferously amplified by the TV presenter and Putin loyalist Dmitry Guberniev on Wednesday. After calling Petrosian a great girl and predicting she would beat everyone, he reflected the shift in Moscow's support for the 13 Russians here in Milano Cortina, in bawdy terms."
Adeliia Petrosian received cheers and soft toys but showed only a faint smile after her short programme. She is 18 and sits fifth after the short, with a live chance of medaling in the free skate. Russia previously reacted coldly to authorised neutral athletes at the Paris Olympics, vetting them to ensure they did not support the war in Ukraine and publicly criticizing those who went. Irina Viner called those athletes traitors and suggested only homeless athletes competed without flag and anthem. The Kremlin now publicly supports the 13 Russians competing in Milano Cortina. Dmitry Peskov said he will watch their performances and TV presenter Dmitry Guberniev amplified pro-Olympian sentiment.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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