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Ukraine Olympic Committee calls for IOC to review Melnikova's neutral status

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 I can share with you the letter dated 30 April.  The image quality is poor, but if you take your time you will be able to read it.   The reason for the review is not only Melnikova's registration as a candidate in Voronezh's regional elections, but also some fundraising events she has taken part in; and a picture of her with a 'Z' symbol, from the early part of the war. It seems that since Russia withdrew its gymnasts from competition - just a few weeks ago - opinions have hardened in favour of the War.  Melnikova has retained her silence, but others in the gymnastics community are speaking out in favour of Russia.   I'll not support these ideas.  But it's very easy for governments to influence their people.  Britain left the European Union on the back of some very questionable campaigning by leading politicians only a few years ago.  Donald Trump's government meetings are a quagmire of sycophantic nonsense as he destroys the world econ...
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Svetlana Boginskaya: I was always a bitch* in gymnastics

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Svetlana Boginskaya, 15 years old, with her medals from the Seoul Olympics Nico translates the latest interview with gymnastics legend Svetlana Boginskaya, during a recent visit to her home country of Belarus. Svetlana Boginskaya: I was always a bitch* in gymnastics, so now I ask for forgiveness from everyone who came in contact with me. The National Olympic Committee of Belarus held a press conference with three-time Olympic Champion in artistic gymnastics, Svetlana Boginskaya. The meeting was devoted to the 25th anniversary of the Olympic Games in Seoul. In South Korea the Belarussian won two gold medals in the team competition and vault. As a gift to the Olympic Hall of fame, the famous gymnast, now living in the United States, donated one of her trophies that she won at the 1990 European Championships and a pennant for Best Female Athlete of the USSR in 1989. How happy we were when we could share with such stars as Boginskaya, Scherbo, and Ivankov,...
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The Ukraine War and Russian female gymnasts

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  War and violence are taken to be the domain of men, in the main … but women suffer too. The Russian female gymnasts are showing a few bruises.    Our ‘new generation’ of Kalmykova, Vasilieva, Roschina, Andreeva and others look well trained, but the lack of opportunity for overseas competition must be a severe disappointment.   24 year old Melnikova has commented that her career has crossed some very interesting times … the doping scandal with all its uncertainty, leading to neutral competition status for the team, Covid and the postponement of competitions, if not a battle with the illness itself for some individuals; and, now, the war with Ukraine, leading to sanctions against Russian competitors.    Finally, Russia’s rather pointless decision to ban themselves from competition as a kind of ‘protest’ against the neutral status they were seeking for so many of their team members.   The fact that Melnikova could carry away individual and tea...
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RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

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