For humankind it is a global test bringing back the understanding and shows the importance of such core values as unity, fellowship, respect for each other, and care for our family and friends to many people.

Any crisis is not only a driver to promptly react by a resolution and reduce risks and losses, it is also a window of new opportunities. It is a situation where thinking out of the box and innovative approaches are sometimes the most effective.

During several months of quarantine and self-isolation, many, for example, refreshed their knowledge of elementary personal hygiene rules, became more attentive to themselves and others.

The world of sports has completely switched to the digital - that was very noticeable in Russia. All athletes, without exception, benefited from a forced interruption to the competitive and training process through self-development and improvement, interacting with fans through a variety of opportunities offered by the internet.

There was an evident trend: the demand from the audience was on top. So, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) together with our Athletes’ Commission made our best to turn this online communication and interaction into an engaging, varied and most importantly useful and beneficial experience for the general audience as well as for the athletes and coaches.

Beyond any doubt Olympians are role models for those who do sports and hold on to an active and healthy lifestyle. With their achievements, they inspire the new generation to strive for accomplishments, fill grassroots sports with proper emotions and energy.

This was the direction we have taken. One of our initiatives was a series of live training sessions within the framework of our Olympic values promotion program - our long-term project aimed at the grassroots sports' development and promotion. With support from our partners, ROC organised a two-week marathon of various training sessions - from a general workout for the whole family to full-body training of an advanced level. Among the coaches were two-time synchronised swimming Olympic champion Alla Shishkina, figure skating world and European champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, speed skating Olympic champion and World Championship medalist Semyon Elistratov and many others. For the public the project provided an opportunity to not only workout with their favorite athletes but to also communicate with them and ask for advice.

Another initiative implemented during the period was an "Olympic Patrol" project, which is traditionally held in the format of live meetings in schools across the county. But this time it has taken place online. "Olympic Lesson", where athletes talk about the history of the Olympics and values of Olympism, got more than 500 people engaged through a digital platform. The vast majority of those who joined us online were schoolchildren and young athletes.

I would also like to highlight the "HomeOlympics 2020" - Kvartiriada 2020 -digital contest, held on social networks. It was about uncommon sports invented by ordinary people, that could be done at home to improve your body and mood. The jury of the project included our three remarkable Olympians - Evgeniya Medvedeva, Svetlana Romashina and Nikita Nagorny. Dozens of videos sent from all over Russia received lots of positive feedback and appreciation from users, including high-performance athletes.

On June 1, on World Children's Day, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency held an online event. As a part of it, well-known athletes and champions casually shared their vision of sports and Olympic values plus anti-doping culture with other participants. Two-time Olympic champion and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member Yelena Isinbayeva and chairman of the ROC Athletes’ Commission, fencing Olympic champion Sofya Velikaya, took part in the event. Parents and young athletes had an opportunity to get answers to all questions about anti-doping and the culture of clean sports Traditionally, such an event is a part of the International Young Olympians Forum, which in 2019 brought together more than 100 athletes from 16 National Olympic Committees.  This year we are also planning to hold the forum, but due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we had to postpone it until mid-November.

During the pandemic, it has also become even more evident that family values come first. Many people have mentally and psychologically leveled up their relations with family and friends. This is also an important topic that we could not ignore. Together with ZASPORT, the Team Russia official outfitter, we are now holding a competition dedicated to the Day of Family, Love and Faithfulness in Russia. We want to unite people in their desire to play sports with the whole family, lead an active lifestyle and stay involved in the Olympic movement.

ROC is also supporting a bright campaign of our colleagues from the IOC - "#StayStrong". For instance, on June 23, as part of International Olympic Day, Russian athletes will participate in two activities - a 24-hour Olympic training session and the ROC online marathon, which will last 2 hours and 20 minutes. In general, all projects have proven effective, so we plan to develop them in the future, whether or not there are any restrictions for offline activities and in-person gatherings.

Of course, the world we will see after the pandemic won’t be the same. Let us not forget that the COVID-19 issue will still be there. For all of us the events of recent months represent a mental and physical challenge. But working together, the global community will overcome this. I am confident. And the return of sporting events, including the Olympic Games, are to become a symbol of humankind’s victory over the disaster. Be faster, higher and stronger than the adverse circumstances. Play sports and take care!