Advertisement

Athletes' hug embodies the Olympic ethic

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0

Georgian athletes agree to remain in Beijing, despite the war at home

Advertisement

Russian and Georgian Olympic athletes touched the world with an emotional embrace on the medal podium in Beijing yesterday.

Silver medallist in the women's 10-metre air pistol event Natalia Paderina from Russia and bronze winner Nino Salukvadze from Georgia then pleaded for peace as bombs continued to fall on South Ossetia.

'If the world were to draw any lessons from what I did, there would never be any wars,' said Salukvadze, after hugging and kissing her Russian rival as millions around the world watched an embrace that epitomised the Olympic spirit.

'We shouldn't really stoop so low to wage wars against each other,' added the tearful 39-year-old mother of two from Tbilisi.

Advertisement

Salukvadze competed under the Soviet flag at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and she and Paderina are sporting adversaries and old friends.

Advertisement