The Russian MAG team have their first squad training at Round Lake, Moscow, beginning on 5th January. Missing from the line up will be Daniel Marinov and Sergei Naidin, who are both recovering at home after shoulder surgery.
Sport is the low hanging fruit of world politics. The IOC ban on Russian athletes has kept Russian soft influence to a minimum over past years. I understand the emotion. For example, how could Nagorny (a Russian World and Olympic champion) compete alongside Ukrainian rivals when he has openly endorsed the war, and even encouraged his Russian team mates to join up and take part in the military action? In this video FIG President Watanabe is welcomed to Round Lake, Russia’s national training centre for gymnastics, by Russian head coach Andrei Rodionenko and the aforementioned Nikita Nagorny. Rodionenko is a long-serving member of the international gymnastics community. He has been head coach of Soviet, Australian, Canadian and, now, the Russian teams. Watanabe is campaigning for votes in his quest to be voted IOC President. That’s like the Prime Minister of the UK putting himself forward as Head of NATO - it’s a big step. ...
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