Why Tchaikovsky plays when a Russian wins an Olympic gold medal

A familiar theme is playing for Russian athletes who win gold, but it's not their national anthem.

ROC's Russian athletes have won seven gold medals at Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Instead of the Russian anthem, "State Anthem of the Russian Federation" playing, Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s "Piano Concerto No. 1" is aired.

The previous suspension on Russia to play in the Olympics is why the Tchaikovsky piece plays.

In 2019, the World Doping Agency gave Russia a four-year non-compliance recommendation due to what the agency said was a "blatant breach" of doping. Russia cannot compete as Russia, not fly their flag or play their anthem.  Instead, Russian athletes are in Tokyo as the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). Their uniforms are Russia's flag colours, blue, white and red. 

So far ROC has won seven golds, with Tokyo playing the concerto each time. The well-known piece was written between November 1874 and February 1875. "Piano Concerto No. 1" was first performed in Boston in 1875 after a dispute with Tchaikovsky’s mentor, Nikolai Rubinstein, whom Tchaikovsky originally wanted to perform the piece.