03:39Mandatory credit: Match TV
A ceremony honouring the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) participants of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo took place at Red Square in Moscow on Monday.
The athletes, who came to the event by two buses direct from the airport, said that they did not expect such a warm welcome back home.
"I really never thought that people would greet us as they have today, I didn't think there would be such delights. They were everywhere: on the Moscow Ring Road, on the Kiev highway, and everyone was waving at us. At such moments you understand that all the suffering, all the pain, everything that we are going through is not in vain," synchronised swimming Olympic champion Maria Shurochkina said.
Moreover, a show was organised for the athletes, where a children's choir sang the Russian anthem and pianist Denis Matsuev played Queen's ‘We will rock you’ melody, which had become the unofficial anthem of the ROC team in Tokyo.
"There is no doubt that your detractors wanted an evil fate to dominate the Russian Olympic Committee and the Russian national team at the games. This idea failed. And in fact, the hashtag #wewillROCyou will remain as a symbol of your abilities and desire to win," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who also participated in the event.
The 2020 Olympic Games, postponed due to the coronavirus, took place in Tokyo from July 23 to August 8. The Russian Olympic Committee team secured fifth place in the total medal count with 20 gold, 28 silver and 23 bronze medals. The winners of the games were the USA with 113 medals, followed by China (88), the host of the games Japan (58) and Great Britain with 65 medals in fourth place.
Russia: ROC athletes welcomed back from Olympics with reception on Red Square
A ceremony honouring the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) participants of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo took place at Red Square in Moscow on Monday.
The athletes, who came to the event by two buses direct from the airport, said that they did not expect such a warm welcome back home.
"I really never thought that people would greet us as they have today, I didn't think there would be such delights. They were everywhere: on the Moscow Ring Road, on the Kiev highway, and everyone was waving at us. At such moments you understand that all the suffering, all the pain, everything that we are going through is not in vain," synchronised swimming Olympic champion Maria Shurochkina said.
Moreover, a show was organised for the athletes, where a children's choir sang the Russian anthem and pianist Denis Matsuev played Queen's ‘We will rock you’ melody, which had become the unofficial anthem of the ROC team in Tokyo.
"There is no doubt that your detractors wanted an evil fate to dominate the Russian Olympic Committee and the Russian national team at the games. This idea failed. And in fact, the hashtag #wewillROCyou will remain as a symbol of your abilities and desire to win," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who also participated in the event.
The 2020 Olympic Games, postponed due to the coronavirus, took place in Tokyo from July 23 to August 8. The Russian Olympic Committee team secured fifth place in the total medal count with 20 gold, 28 silver and 23 bronze medals. The winners of the games were the USA with 113 medals, followed by China (88), the host of the games Japan (58) and Great Britain with 65 medals in fourth place.
Mandatory credit: Match TV
A ceremony honouring the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) participants of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo took place at Red Square in Moscow on Monday.
The athletes, who came to the event by two buses direct from the airport, said that they did not expect such a warm welcome back home.
"I really never thought that people would greet us as they have today, I didn't think there would be such delights. They were everywhere: on the Moscow Ring Road, on the Kiev highway, and everyone was waving at us. At such moments you understand that all the suffering, all the pain, everything that we are going through is not in vain," synchronised swimming Olympic champion Maria Shurochkina said.
Moreover, a show was organised for the athletes, where a children's choir sang the Russian anthem and pianist Denis Matsuev played Queen's ‘We will rock you’ melody, which had become the unofficial anthem of the ROC team in Tokyo.
"There is no doubt that your detractors wanted an evil fate to dominate the Russian Olympic Committee and the Russian national team at the games. This idea failed. And in fact, the hashtag #wewillROCyou will remain as a symbol of your abilities and desire to win," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who also participated in the event.
The 2020 Olympic Games, postponed due to the coronavirus, took place in Tokyo from July 23 to August 8. The Russian Olympic Committee team secured fifth place in the total medal count with 20 gold, 28 silver and 23 bronze medals. The winners of the games were the USA with 113 medals, followed by China (88), the host of the games Japan (58) and Great Britain with 65 medals in fourth place.