Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

Nagorny ‘one of the most odious characters in sport’ as FIG issues neutral status to gymnasts from Russia. I take issue with his point on Melnikova training at CSKA - the gymnasts generally join their clubs as children and there isn’t much choice.  Deliberately turning her back on CSKA because of its military connections would be a risky thing to do in Putin’s Russia.   https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/mar/31/gymnastics-embrace-of-russians-highlights-neutrality-blurred-lines?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 Via VK.com Judge Dmitry Andreev, gymnast Ranel Safiullin and doctor Grigory Marsov received neutral status. Today, FIG updated the list of athletes and staff who received neutral status. Information about athletes from rhythmic gymnastics also appeared.

All Russian gymnasts who received neutral status intend to promptly fly to Novosibirsk after the end of the World Cup stage in Qatar to take part in the Russian Cup. This was reported to TASS by the senior coach of the Russian national team Valentina Rodionenko. In addition to Melnikova, the list of Russian participants in the April stages of the World Cup in artistic gymnastics includes Kirill Prokopyev, Vladislav Polyashov, Ilya Zaika, Grigory Klimentyev, Alena Glotova and Zlata Osokina. 💬"All our athletes plan to compete in the Russian Cup in Novosibirsk after participating in the World Cup stages," Rodionenko said. "The World Cup stage in Qatar will end on April 19, the official training in Novosibirsk is scheduled for April 22. When we declared gymnasts for the World Cup stages, the athletes all said that the Russian Cup was a priority start for them. And they are doing the right thing, because a lot will depend on the performance in Novosibirsk." 📝tass.ru/sp...

The new IOC President is a woman, and from Africa, Mrs Kirsty Coventry! The FIG President Watanabe received 4 votes and Britain’s Sebastian Coe 8. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2025/mar/20/ioc-presidential-elections-olympics-sebastian-coe-juan-antonio-samaranch-jr-live?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Russian coach Vera Kiryashova has been invited as a judge to the April stage of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup, which will be held in Croatia. Kiryashova told TASS about this. 💬"The first tournament I plan to work at after a long break will be held in Croatia in a month," Kiryashova said. "After that, I'm going to go to Qatar. I don't have any information yet whether I'll be the only judge from Russia at these tournaments." The Artistic Gymnastics World Cup stage will be held in Osijek, Croatia, from April 11 to 13, and Doha will host the world stage a week later. Kiryashova is one of three Russian judges who received neutral status from the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) in early March, which gives Russians and Belarusians the right to work at tournaments under the auspices of FIG. Elena Redyanova and Irina Savosina also have neutral status. She continues to work as part of the judging panels at international tournaments, as represented b...

From Match TV via VK.com.  Google translate Russian gymnast Daniil Marinov said on Match TV that he felt the willingness of the President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Morinari Watanabe to return Russian athletes to international competitions. On Monday, Watanabe is in Novogorsk with members of the Russian national artistic and rhythmic gymnastics teams. The head of FIG is also a candidate for the post of President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 📅 We talked about the prospects for 2028, about the Olympics. What are the chances of Russia competing in them as its own country and power without any neutral flags. To which he replied that this will happen when everything calms down. It will happen without any problems. Unfortunately, there are no specifics. ⛔At the meeting with Watanabe, the conversation was about neutral statuses and how to obtain them, about refusals. Why, for example, was our star Vika Listunova refused. She was refused because of a...