The gold and silver medals that won’t be included in the Olympic table

Ivan Litvinovich and Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya have earned their Olympic medals—gold and silver respectively—but these medals will not be reflected in the official Olympic medal table.

The trampoline gymnasts are among 17 Belarusians participating in Paris as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) due to their country’s suspension for supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allowed athletes from Belarus and Russia to compete as AINs if they meet specific criteria, though they will not have a national flag, colors, or anthem, and their medals will not count in the national standings.

To qualify as AINs, athletes must not actively support the war and must not be affiliated with the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies.

Litvinovich, 23, successfully defended his title but instead of the Belarusian anthem he heard in Tokyo, he listened to an IOC-commissioned song without lyrics, while the teal AIN flag was raised. Despite this, he received a congratulatory message from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who praised his achievement on his official website: “Dear Ivan, you are our pride! Thank you for the Olympic gold.”

Litvinovich dismissed a reporter’s query about his past support for Lukashenko, calling it a provocation and asking for sport-related questions. He noted, however, that he prefers the Belarusian anthem over the AIN one and expressed hope to compete under his own flag in future Olympics.

Bardzilouskaya, 19, won silver behind Great Britain’s Bryony Page in the women’s trampoline event. She received congratulations from the Belarusian Olympic Committee (BOC), which is not recognized by the IOC. BOC President Viktor Lukashenko, son of Alexander Lukashenko, praised her achievement, highlighting its significance as both her first Olympic medal and the first for Belarus in Paris.

Russian athletes are also competing as AINs, with another AIN medal guaranteed after Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider reached the women’s doubles tennis final. This is in line with the IOC’s decision to allow athletes from these countries to participate under neutral status due to their involvement in the conflict.

This marks the fourth consecutive Olympics in which Russian athletes are competing under an acronym, following previous sanctions due to a state-sponsored doping scandal.