Russia competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's third consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics as an independent nation. The Russian Olympic Committee sent a total of 446 athletes to the Games, 244 men and 202 women, to compete in all sports, except baseball, field hockey, football, and softball.
Russia left Athens with a total of 90 Olympic medals – 28 golds, 26 silver, and 36 bronze – finishing second only to the United States in the overall medal standings, and third in the gold medal tally.[2] The Russian delegation proved particularly successful in several sports, winning a total of nineteen medals in athletics, ten each in shooting and wrestling, seven in gymnastics and weightlifting, six in boxing, and five in cycling and judo. From the twenty-four sports played by the athletes, twelve of them won more than a single Olympic medal. Russian athletes dominated in rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming, where they won gold medals in every event. Among Russia's team-based athletes, the indoor volleyball teams, along with men's handball and water polo and women's basketball, claimed Olympic medals in their respective tournaments.
Among the nation's medalists were synchronized swimming pair Anastasia Davydova and Anastasiya Yermakova, who both won gold in the women's duet and team routines,[3] pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, who later emerged as Russia's most promising track star in the decade,[4] and Greco-Roman wrestler Khasan Baroev, who sought revenge for Russia on Aleksandr Karelin's defeat from Sydney to take home the super heavyweight title.[5] Five-time Olympian Andrey Lavrov helped the men's handball team beat the Hungarians on his quest for the bronze medal and fourth medal overall in his fifth and final Olympic appearance.[6]
As of 2021, this is Russia's best ever result in terms of overall medals and second-best result in terms of gold medals (after 2000).
Russian athletes achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard).[7][8] On 23 August 2004, shot putter Irina Korzhanenko was stripped of her gold medal and received a lifetime ban by the International Olympic Committee after she tested positive for the steroid stanozolol.[9] On 5 December 2012, Korzhanenko's teammate Svetlana Krivelyova was ordered to hand back her bronze, as the drug re-testings of her samples were positive.[10]
Key
Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
Q = Qualified for the next round
q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
Russia sent eleven boxers to Athens. With three gold medals and three bronze medals, Russia was the second most successful nation at boxing in Athens, behind only Cuba. Like Cuba, Russia sent a boxer to Athens in each of the eleven weight classes. Only one of the Russians came away without any victories, as he faced a Cuban in the first round. In all, four Russian boxers fell to the Cuban team while only one Russian was able to win against the Cubans. In addition to the six medallists (the three gold medallists were undefeated while the three bronze medallists lost their semifinal bouts), three more Russians made it to the quarterfinals.
Russian divers qualified for eight individual spots at the 2004 Olympic Games. Four Russian synchronized diving teams qualified through the 2004 FINA Diving World Cup.
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; R=Repechage
Russian swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the A-standard time, and 1 at the B-standard time):
Originally, Russia recorded an overall tally of 92 medals at these Olympic Games. On 23 August 2004, the International Olympic Committee ordered a lifetime ban for shot putter Irina Korzhanenko and stripped her of her gold medal after she tested positive for the steroid stanozolol.[9] Eight years later, her teammate Svetlana Krivelyova was ordered to hand back her bronze, as the drug re-testings of her samples were positive.[10]