The Winter Olympics kicked off on Friday at the San Siro Stadium in Italy. Celebrations also took place at the Olympic venues in the snow-covered Italian Alps.
The opening of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics was a prominent topic of conversation in Moscow cafes. At least 13 Russian athletes are participating in the Winter Games under a neutral flag, due to the sporting sanctions imposed on Russia since the start of the offensive in Ukraine.
These Moscow residents did not miss the pleasure of following the global event, notwithstanding the absence of the Russian flag at the ceremony.
"It's a beautiful spectacle, but we Russians would still like to see our athletes participate, at least as neutrals. We want to be proud of them, if only for having managed to qualify!" explains Olga, a bank employee.
And Anton, owner of a video production company, agrees.
"We are not satisfied with this blank flag, but in reality, what we see is a sporting ceremony, a ceremony of friendship between all the countries of the world. It is not about political issues. That is why we all think that this will change, perhaps in a few months or a few years, and that we will all forget this story."
Things are indeed changing. The International Olympic Committee recently recommended that sports federations allow Russian teams to participate in junior events.
