Russian gymnast's bizarre claims about Vladimir Putin after Olympics
Olympic gold medallist Angelina Melnikova has revealed how Russian athletes are being made to quarantine for a week after returning from the Tokyo Games so they can meet President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian Olympic Committee won 71 medals in Tokyo, including 20 golds.
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They finished fifth on the medal table - the country's lowest finish since the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm
However the result has been celebrated in Russia due to the country being barred from competing with its flag and anthem because of doping sanctions.
And despite Putin reportedly having two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine - one in March and one in April - Moscow is continuing to take pandemic precautions with regards to the 68-year-old's health.
Before being vaccinated, Putin spent much of the pandemic running the country from his residence rather than the Kremlin.
He chaired video conference meetings online instead of face-to-face encounters.
People who meet him in person have also reported being required to quarantine, claims backed up by Melnikova on Tuesday.
"All Olympic champions and medallists have a meeting with the president when they return home," the gymnast, who won gold in the women's team event and bronze in the all-around and floor exercise, wrote in her Instagram stories.
"The meeting is planned for September 10, and because of COVID, which we are all fed up with, we have to be in quarantine for seven days."
Melnikova said athletes had to undergo three Covid-19 tests in the hotel where they will be self-isolating.
Russia's explosive claims America 'rigged' Olymmpics
Last month Russian officials made extraordinary claims that America and other high-powered countries rigged the Tokyo Olympics against them.
Russia wasn't officially competing at the Tokyo Games, however Russian athletes were still allowed to compete as the Russian Olympic Committee.
According to a report from the Daily Beast, Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation president Irina Viner-Usmanova claimed: “This outcome was planned in advance."
Russian lawmaker Aleksei Zhuravlyov said other countries at the Olympics were "a pack of Russophobic beasts, headed by the United States."
Olga Skabeeva, a TV host for a state-owned television channel, said the Tokyo Games were the "clearest example of total Russophobia."
"These Olympic Games stink," Skabeeva said. "Global sports forever ceased being an honest competition, turning into a cheap political farce.
"At the behest of Americans, the International Olympic Committee took away two gold medals from Russian."
The source of most of Russia's anger came from the silver medal won by Dina Averina, who was beaten for gold by Israel’s Linoy Ashram in the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around competition.
It was the first time a Russian athlete hadn't won gold in the event since 1996.
The Russian Olympic Committee protested the decision because Ashram dropped her ribbon at the end of her routine, which Averina also did when she won gold at the 2018 world championships.
"I don't feel that it was fair today and it was obvious from the very first apparatus when... I got a lower score, so I can't say that it was very fair," said Averina.
"I can't spot any obvious mistake that I did. I was pretty consistent and clean compared to Linoy who lost the apparatus."
with AAP
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