Sport is not the problem, world politics is. Put another way, speaking as a feminist, only men could believe that the answer to any problem is to bomb, shoot, kill and maim. And, speaking as a sports afficionado, only the IOC could believe that isolating nations from the Olympic mission of peace and friendship might solve the problem of war. Is sport ‘war without the shooting’? Politics and sport do not mix, that’s for sure. Am I the only one who found gymnastics without the Russkies just a little bit flat and boring? Now we have them back and have to contemplate how their gymnasts will cope in a new age. Can they revive their motivation and get back in time to compete as a team at the Olympics? The IOC started the sanction, and now it’s attempting to stop it. They are the ones who hold the power, and their approach is mirrored by the sporting federations who are gradually letting Ru...
Reporting and analysing Russian gymnastics since 2010. Includes original and exclusive interviews with leading coaches and gymnasts, and historical issues dating back to the Soviet Union. The first blog to report extensively on the sport using Russian language sources. I read, I argue, and I have opinions. Be warned.