Russian gymnasts finally lost the opportunity to perform at the European Championships

The teams of Russia and Belarus did not take part in the draw for the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships, which took place on March 21. Thus, the national teams finally lost the opportunity to play in the tournament, said the head coach of the Russian national team Valentina Rodionenko.

“We have long understood that we will not be able to compete at the European Championships, so the draw that took place without us did not come as a surprise. Let’s hope that we will be given the opportunity to take part in the June Asian Championship in Singapore, which will be the only chance to qualify for a very important World Championship for us, ”said TASS Mrs Rodionenko.

The European Championship will be held in Turkish Antalya from 11 to 16 April. Athletes from 39 countries will take part in it. This is the qualifying stage before the world championship, which is scheduled for autumn 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium. If the International Gymnastics Federation approves the participation of Russian athletes in Asian tournaments, then they will have the opportunity to qualify for the world championship through the Asian Championship. It will take place in Singapore from 15 to 18 June.

After the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that international sports federations remove Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in competitions. On January 25, 2023, the IOC proposed to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus who do not express active support for hostilities in Ukraine to international competitions in a neutral status. position of the IOC supported and the International Gymnastics Federation.

Milena Kostereva