Nikita Nagorny on gymnastics in Russia and neutral status

In an interview with Izvestia and SE, Nikita Nagorny shared his expectations for cooperation with the new IOC President Kirsty Coventry, and also commented on Alexander Ovechkin's record in the NHL.

❓How successful is the team tournament format in artistic gymnastics?

💬 Huge spectator interest, all tickets are sold out two or three days in advance. When we held such competitions of the gymnastics premier league last year, the 1,500-seat hall in Moscow was filled to capacity. The fan base, the chants - we have never had such emotions in artistic gymnastics in our country. In 2025, we plan to hold more than 40 competitions within the premier league. By the way, gymnasts who have finished their careers as athletes can also participate in them. For example, I recently saw on social networks that our 1996 Olympic champion Nikolai Kryukov, who ended his career more than 10 years ago, is preparing for such a performance. He was the head coach of the Russian youth team when I got there. And today there are rumors that he will take part in the gymnastics premier league competitions.

❓ In this regard, are you or your wife Daria not going to take part in such competitions?

💬 I think Daria will try to participate. Perhaps she will create a team. In my case, it would not be entirely objective to take part, since as the vice-president of the Russian Gymnastics Federation, I am the organizer of these competitions. Besides, I will hardly find time to prepare.

❓ You yourself have not publicly announced the end of your career as a gymnast — this was said in the fall by the head coach of the Russian national team Valentina Rodionenko on the day of your election as vice-president of the federation. Can you say yourself that you will not return to competitions at the level of the Olympic Games and World Championships?

💬 I am 28 years old — this is an age when it is stupid to talk about ending a career in artistic gymnastics. Especially to do this in an interview. In any case, I understand that life is unpredictable, so I do not rule out a return to the competition platform. Besides, what is the point of talking about ending a career in today's conditions for our country? We have a lot of ambitious plans ahead to create something cool and awesome, if we are treated the way we are now in the context of obtaining neutral status. In these conditions, we need to create something of our own — more interesting and not subject to political influence.

As for me, I will definitely announce the end of my Olympic career, but everything has its time. The right thing to do would be to let all the fans who have been with me my entire career see me in person. And say goodbye to them face to face as part of some show program in my native Rostov-on-Don, after which I can continue to delight people in a new capacity.

❓ Do you admit that you will try to get to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles?

💬 I don’t want to give anyone any extra hope. Moreover, I am under sanctions from the US, Canada, Great Britain, and recently the EU has added me to its sanctions list. It is clear that in such conditions, traveling to international competitions is problematic. They simply won’t give me a visa. But we don’t know how the political story will develop further. Perhaps only the presidents of the two countries know how relations between Russia and the US will develop. Even if there are improvements, this does not mean that Russian athletes will immediately be allowed to compete in all sports under their own flag and anthem. Unfortunately, athletes do not decide anything here. They are simply nobody. And they can only do their job, train, compete within Russia, speak out, but not decide when and where to participate under the flag and anthem.

❓ In March, the President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Morinaro Watanabe came to Russia. What impressions did you have from talking to him?

💬 I can't comment. But everyone heard him say that our gymnasts can compete in competitions as neutrals. At the same time, European countries do not allow them. Take Croatia, for example - despite all the good relations with it in sports, the country did not give visas to all of ours. The same situation with Belgium, where the World Championships were held.

❓How did they react to Watanabe's defeat in the IOC presidential elections?

💬 No way.

As practice shows, the conditions for neutral status are created by the international federation. In some places, like in judo and wrestling, our athletes just need to meet all the anti-doping criteria. Swimmers are in the same situation. Plus, they are given the opportunity to qualify for the World Championships bypassing the European Championships - directly through the Russian Championships. In some places, the requirements are stricter - for example, for gymnasts.

FIG creates biased requirements for admission to international competitions. Think about it: our gymnast Muhammadzhon Yakubov, who is subscribed to his school's page on the VK platform, which is posting the fifth anti-doping test, was refused. Only the number five is depicted as a Roman numeral, and it looks like the letter V. As we know, this symbol is now perceived by some in the world in the same context as the letter Z. Yakubov did not post it anywhere, did not place it anywhere - he simply reposted it. Because of this, he was deprived of his neutral status. Is this normal?

This is a question for the global sports community: people, are you out of your minds? We, the Russian national artistic gymnastics team, are accommodating, ready to receive neutral status and compete. Based on all the requirements that exist, understanding that someone may be refused for political reasons, we are not including a number of people in the lists for neutral status - Nikita Nagorny, David Belyavsky, Artur Dalaloyan are not there. There are only young guys there. One of them - Lesha Usachev - was refused because he used to be a member of CSKA in Volgograd. Although he has not played for them for a long time - he has been living in Vladimir for more than five years. And he has not had any connection with CSKA for a long time.

Full version of the interview www.sport-express.ru/artistic-g...