Belarusian Athlete Bags Gold in Paris Olympics; No Flag, No Anthem Allowed

On Friday, Ivan Litvinovich from Belarus became the first athlete competing as a neutral at the Paris Olympics to win a gold medal. Litvinovich, who retained his title in the men’s trampoline final, achieved this notable feat despite the restrictions placed on athletes from Russia and Belarus due to the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

As part of the neutrality conditions, the achievements of these athletes do not appear on the official medals table, and they are not permitted to use their national flags or anthems. Instead, a generic tune commissioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was played during the medal ceremony.

Litvinovich, who also declined to address questions about his country’s political situation, expressed a preference for his national anthem but focused on discussing his sport. Earlier in the day, Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya from Belarus won the first medal for a neutral athlete at the Paris Games, securing a silver in the women’s trampoline.