Daniil Smirnov won a gold medal at the #YOG26_Dakar (Youth Olympic Games 2026 in Dakar) and shared his thoughts in an interview with the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) press service. — Did trailing the British athlete by 4 points after the qualification round worry you much? Or were you confident that it didn’t really matter? — Well, it’s not that it didn’t worry me at all—of course it did. But for the final, I managed to get into a better mindset and stay more focused. The cost of any mistake is much higher in the final than it is in the qualification round. I’m glad everything worked out. It was a wonderful feeling to stand on the podium and listen to the Russian national anthem. — Were you nervous while preparing for the horizontal bar, given that you fell off it the day before yesterday? — Not really, actually. I just told myself to perform my routine carefully and cleanly. That was all that was needed. I didn’t feel any jitters at all. — Ar...
"I’ve been forbidden from performing on the rings." An interview with the shadow leader of the Russian national gymnastics team Rustam Imamov November 2, 2026, 15:00 Moscow Time. Championat Veteran gymnast Sergey Naidin reflects on the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam and more. The World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were marked not only by controversies surrounding the exclusion of top Russian female gymnasts but also by some welcome successes. The men’s team, for instance—from whom little was expected following a mixed performance at the European Championships in Zagreb—truly exceeded all expectations: they secured second place in the team all-around event and earned a quota spot for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Unexpected leaders also emerged—most notably Sergey Naidin, who, in addition to the team medal, claimed bronze on the horizontal bar. At 25, he is one of the most experienced members of a national team currently undergoing a generational shift; he is al...