At the 2008 Olympics, the “kiss of peace” between a Russian athlete and her Georgian competitor

At the Beijing Olympics, Russia’s Natalia Paderina and Georgia’s Nino Salukvadze embrace on the podium of the women’s 10-meter pistol event. A gesture of friendship that amazed the world, while at the same time, their two countries were facing off on the military field.

As the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approaches, let’s take a look back at 2008. The Olympic Games were held that year in Beijing and were marked by an almost banal gesture that we see on the Olympic podiums: two athletes, medals around their necks and bouquets of flowers in their hands, kissing in front of the photographers. Except that on August 10, 2008, it was a “kiss of peace” that the Russian Natalia Paderina and the Georgian exchanged Nino Salukvadze. The first won silver, the second bronze in the 10-meter pistol shooting. The young Russian explained her gesture by friendship, “Sport beyond politics“, she says.

However, the day before, the Georgian had not slept much. With the other athletes of the delegation, she had condemned in a press release “Russian aggression strategy“, and expressed the wish that the dove of peace that had flown from the Beijing stadium, named the Bird’s Nest, would fly to the Caucasus. Thousands of kilometers from this podium in Beijing, Russia and Georgia are facing each other, not in a stadium, but on the military field.

After several days of border clashes between separatists from South Ossetia, a breakaway province supported by Russia, and the Georgian army, hostilities began on the night of 7-8 August 2008 with an assault by Georgian troops. Kremlin tanks then entered South Ossetia, many of whose inhabitants held Russian passports. Within a few days, Moscow took control of the separatist region, pushed Georgian forces out of the territory and carried out attacks on the outskirts of Tbilisi. A ceasefire, negotiated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, was finally accepted by both parties on 12 August 2008.

Despite the war, Georgian athletes will stay in Beijing to defend the colours of their threatened country. In the Olympic village, rumours are circulating that the Georgian delegation could withdraw from the Olympic Games. The athletes are not in the mood to achieve sporting feats, their concentration is affected. They are on the lookout for any news from Tbilisi. The atmosphere is electric. Finally, the president Mikheil Saakashvili their request to continue the sports competition to save the honor of their country. Georgian athletes will leave Beijing with three gold medals, two silver and two bronze, including that of Nino Salukvadze at 10 meter pistol shooting.