Skip to main content

Not all gymnasts and coaches are applying for neutral status, says Valentina Rodionenko

Match TV reports on a conversation with the Russian head coach.  Seems a bit confused?  Google translate.


‘Some representatives of the Russian national team, primarily the athletes' personal coaches, have decided to refuse to apply for neutral status to participate in international competitions, Valentina Rodionenko, senior coach of the Russian national artistic gymnastics team, told Match TV.


Russian gymnasts have the right to participate in competitions under the auspices of the FIG as neutrals from January 1, 2024. In early January, Vasily Titov, First Vice President of the Russian Gymnastics Federation (RGF), told Match TV that applications by Russian athletes to receive neutral status to participate in the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) tournaments were "in process".


The information about the inclusion of athletes in the testing pool was commented on by Valentina Rodionenko, senior coach of the Russian national artistic gymnastics team.

💬 This is the first time I've heard from you about an international testing pool. We have no information other than the fact that the federation has sent lists of athletes who are declared neutral. So far, there is silence; no one has answered us yet. And we are guided by the fact that this will be at the end of February, probably, when the next FIG Executive Committee will take place. We are skipping the first stage of the World Cup, God willing, that some of our people will get to the remaining ones.


❗I would not like to disclose the number of athletes and coaches, I can only say that there are specialists, especially personal coaches, who have decided not to apply for neutral status on principle. Not everyone is happy to accept the conditions that are imposed on us, first of all, the absence of a flag and anthem. They say: “Well, how? My relative died at the SVO. How can I?” And some are happy to forget about their country, which does a lot for them, and agree to any conditions, if only they would allow them.


We associate a lot of hope with Listunova’s performance at the Cup in Italy as part of the club competitions. Many famous gymnasts come there. Let's see how the relations will develop there. We know that the head of the women's technical committee, Donatella Sacchi, is very keen for Russian gymnasts to be allowed in, Rodionenko told a Match TV correspondent.


📝https://matchtv.ru/gimnastika/matchtvnews_NI2160199_Rad_trenerov_sbornoj_Rossii_po_gimnastike_principialno_otkazalis_podavat_zajavku_na_nejtralnyj_status



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Nelli Kim - 'Russian gymnastics has closed in on itself' - Lupita translates

Lupita has translated this ITAR-TASS interview with Nelli Kim.  It's controversial, to say the least. Ed's note : much of the initial response to this interview - both here and in the wider gymternet -  has focussed on the detail of Kim's words and especially her comments about Viktoria Komova, and smiling.  But I think these have to be taken in context, and not too literally. Don't forget that just a day ago Andrei Rodionenko complained bitterly about the judging in Antwerp, calling Kim's behaviour 'aggressive'. Kim is responding to this here, and to the wider current context of Russian gymnastics.  What she is essentially saying to the Russian coach is 'get your own house in order, produce confident, disciplined, well trained gymnasts - stop complaining, do your job, and I will do mine.'   She goes about saying this in a somewhat long winded way and says some things along the way that seem contradictory, unfair, inappropriate even for th...

'Mustafina is no longer in pain' - Valentina Rodionenko

Picture of Aliya Mustafina, courtesy of RGF Valentina Rodionenko has provided some updates on the Russian teams and how their preparation for Worlds (Nanning, China, 3 to 12 October) is progressing, via Allsports (http://www.allsportinfo.ru/index.php?id=84328) - The teams are now at camp in Italy, in two small towns close to Milan, by the sea, where the girls travelled on 29th June and the men on 1 July.  The athletes aren't only training, they can also relax. - Komova is working out at Round Lake, she didn't go to Italy.  We will see how she does at the Russia Cup, which will be held late August in Penza. Tatiana Nabiyeva is looking good in training and the other girls are also working.  Ksenia Afanasyeva won't have time to prepare for Worlds, and Anastasia Grishina's participation is also in doubt, we just don't know if she will qualify for the team.   We have hopes for Aliya Mustafina.  As always, she is our number one.  It would be great if there were t...

The Produnova vault - should it be banned?

Elena Produnova - one of the most beautiful and powerful gymnasts ever There is a lot of discussion about this at the moment and I felt moved to add this blog's voice to the rising tide of opinion. The vault you can see below (a) should not be banned as it is exciting, innovative and beautiful. Vault (a) http://youtu.be/nQuIQ9s3ddM But the vault below (b) should receive a zero, leaving the coach and gymnast effectively disqualified from the running for team, all around and apparatus finals.  While you might argue that the gymnast nominally lands with her feet on the ground, she can't sustain the landing and her weight is taken by back, head, neck and several other body parts.  Surely common sense dictates a zero score.  You can argue, if you like, that common sense shouldn't come into judging, but surely it is not too much to expect judges to make judgements.  Or perhaps a minor change to the wording of the Code if Points is required to make this more comfortable for...

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more