Throughout history, there were so many things we had to endure from our “partners.” But time and again, they failed to take us down, be it in a world war, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, or sanctions… We survived, time and time again.
Sport should not have existed in Russia. There was no place in international forecasts for Russia’s revival as a sports powerhouse: its young generation was expected to fall into the abyss of alcohol abuse, stadiums to be taken over by consumer goods markets, and coaches to train other countries’ teams.
But things did not go according to the plan. A new generation of athletes emerged, achieving new heights at the international stage, and Russia hosted the #Olympics with great success. Sport evolved into a national idea with tens of thousands of children’s sports clubs and schools, new stadiums and more and more people taking up exercise.
We constantly hear that we are doing everything wrong, be it our lifestyle, culture, history, and now sports.
Does it hurt? You bet. My thoughts and prayers are with Russian athletes. Will we survive? Yes, we will.
#IOCEB #olympics2018 Олимпийский комитет России / Russian Olympic Committee Olympic World Anti-Doping Agency
