Medal to Each Cat
“I want to cry. I was not allowed to go out in a mask with a cat. They said: "Sorry, you can't wear such a mask". Well, I will not argue with the organizers of the Olympics". These words of Evgeny Rylov have become legendary: this is how the athlete, who won the Olympic gold in swimming for Russia for the first time in 25 years, reacted to the strict rules of the award ceremony. And he just wanted to put on his famous mask with an image of a cat's muzzle at the happiest moment.
This mask has long become a meme. Wearing it, Rylov participated in swimming rounds both at the Russian championship and at the European championship in May. At that time, fans asked Evgeny if he would take it with him to Tokyo. He took. And he participated in it. And he won a gold medal, and then another one, and then a silver one as part of the relay team.
For Rylov, the cat mask is not just an accessory, but a real talisman - and all because it is a gift from Oksana, the champion's girlfriend. By the way, she also has one. "Love bite of golden cats" - this is how Rylov signed a photo with his beloved on his instagram.
Oksana knew how to win the heart of her boyfriend: Evgeny loves cats very much. At home he has as many as five cats: a handsome Maine Coon named Maine,
as well as Malyaska, Milka, Ryzhik and T'ma. Five. And so far he has only two Olympic gold medals. So Evgeny will have to go to Paris for the 2024 Olympics in three years and perform there under the slogan "Medal to each of the cats!"
When the victors of the Olympic Games returned home, Rylov's fans staged a flash mob at the Sheremetyevo airport - they put on exactly the same masks with a cat.
Even the great hockey player, former minister and senator, and now State Duma deputy Vyacheslav Fetisov could not stand aside.
The whole world now knows about the love of the Olympic champion for cats. Immediately after his victorious swim, Evgeny's instagram exploded with comments from fans living in various countries: “You are making history! Made Russia happy ”, “Cool mask, Zhenya! We are waiting for another gold medal. Win everything!" “You are cosmos, Zhenya. Cats too!"
And we don't want to argue with that.