TOKYO — Nikita Nagornyy could barely keep it together on the medals podium on Monday night after Russia won the men’s gymnastics team event at the Tokyo Olympics.
He rubbed his eyes as tears dampened his white face mask and took deep breaths to calm himself. Eventually, he resorted to taking off the mask and using it to wipe his face dry. When the gold medals arrived on a platter for the athletes to put around their own necks — a change in tradition because of Covid-19 — his teammate Artur Dalaloyan felt obliged to do it for him.