The Russian champion has found a great replacement for the Russian flag. The act of the girl hit the stands

Russian athletes have had to endure bans on the use of state symbols for several years. Sanctions of this type began to be applied to the national team a few years ago following several doping scandals. Even our athletes, punished by the International Federation (IAAF) in 2015, got it.

Not all members of the Russian national athletics team, however, these measures seemed right. Four years ago, a brilliant young man made an unusual protest against the IAAF.

The video of the sweater quickly went viral.

“I won, but not quite”

Aksana Gataullina is the daughter of the famous Rodion Gataullin, the 1988 Olympic silver medalist in the high jump. The girl followed in the footsteps of her father and soon began to show outstanding results. You the athlete really made headlines in 2019, when you won the gold of the European Junior Championship.

The use of Russian symbols was prohibited in the continental competition, as sanctions by the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) against the country were in force at that time – all because of long-running doping scandals. Traditionally, our athletes performed with a blank canvas instead of a flag and the anthem of the international federation instead of Alexandrov’s music.

The young athlete, however, did not want to put up with this state of affairs. In the final stage Aksana conquered the height of 4.36m and won the gold medal. At the end of the competition, the winners had to make a solemn circle around the arena, waving their flags.

Since it was impossible for the Russians to get their own tricolor, Gataullina decided to declare himself in his own way – and conceived an unusual action. Instead of a flag, Aksana… wrapped herself in a brightly colored blanket: pink with polka dots. The act of the tribune girl was appreciated – and responded with thunderous applause.

Photo source: IAAF

The action soon turned into a trend: social network users who watched the video of the Russian woman began to repeat the gesture. Soon the journalists even turned to Gataullina to find out what kind of idea the athlete had. Aksana explained that she, on the one hand, she just wanted to joke, on the other – broadcast the absurdity of sanctions for Russian athletes.

– I was happy that I won, but somehow not completely. You look at this white flag, you hear other music instead of the anthem and you cannot rejoice. I don’t know about other guys, but I had such emotions, ”Gataullina said in an Interview with Sport-Express.

Fortunately, there were no further sanctions from international sports authorities against the girl – officials took her unusual action in stride. The athlete herself in the same year received the title of master of sports of international class, after which she began to perform at the adult level. Now Aksana’s collection already has three medals of the Russian Indoor Championships – silver in 2020 and 2022, as well as bronze in 2023.