Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

  Russia's neutral gymnasts have been performing very well in competition recently, not least at the Cottbus Cup last week where a fairly inexperienced group of young women took medals on every piece - and their men did well, too. The team is still in the position where its veterans, or at least its established performers, are the leaders.  For the women, this means that Melnikova is assumed to be the top, while for the men, Marinov is the one whose name is most likely to be spoken.  But he is still recovering from multiple injuries and not expecting to be ready for competition until later in the year.  In fact the leadership of the men's team has skipped a couple of generations: first year senior, Arseny Dukhno, is taking the lead for the team. So while the youngsters head off to the World Cup competitions to make a name for themselves there, the leaders are competing in the Serie A league in Italy - and they aren't doing too shabbily there.  Both Melnikova and...

I am grateful to the RGF for releasing this interesting historical account for our enjoyment.  The card is a souvenir from the 1980 Olympics, depicting Alexander Tkachev.  The autograph is none other than Maria Filatova! '🥇A Historical Account of Maintaining Law and Order at Krugloe Lake During the 1980 Olympics While everyone is keeping an eye on the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, we decided to recall the historic moments of Krugloe Lake during the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. 🤫Especially for you, we found a historical account from a police officer who ensured security at our Training Center during the Olympics: We selected and sent only the very best – the reliable and proven! The combined detachment, which included me, was tasked with carrying out its mission at the Krugloe Lake Olympic Base. During the Olympics, a single attempt by an unaccredited Japanese journalist was thwarted; he somehow managed to get past the first checkpoint. But at the second, plainclothes o...

  Kartsev: FX, PB, HB; Suedin: PH, PB, HB; Roschina : V, UB Kalmykova: V, FX; Vassilieva: BB, FX; Kaiumova: UB, BB At times, I have been at a loss as to what to say; I still am.  I don’t think that politics and sport make good bedfellows, but we live in a time of global confusion and sadness.  It has been more than twelve years since Russia has competed under its own flag at the Olympics, and for all I know it could be another twelve or more before things revert entirely to ‘normal’.  I don’t know how seriously to take any of the announcements being made recently, about junior athletes being allowed to compete as Russian, about athletes in the Winter Paralympics being allowed to compete under the Russian flag.  I’d like to see the athletes back and able to live their lives, for them to be able to show off a bit and feel pride in their accomplishments.  But I can’t ignore the bigger picture of death and destruction.  People are lucky if they can live in...

The RGF confirms via Telegram.  Angelina Melnikova attended the Congress in Prague and gave a speech. ‘ ✅ The European Gymnastics Congress voted to reinstate Russian athletes' eligibility for competitions under the organization's auspices. This opens access for artistic and rhythmic gymnastics to qualifying tournaments for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In trampoline, athletes can qualify for the Olympics without going through European competitions. 🗳 Delegates from 46 of the 50 countries that are members of European Gymnastics participated in the vote. Twenty-seven countries voted to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete. The Russian delegation was led by Marat Filippov, Vice President of the Russian Olympic Committee and Secretary of the Presidential Council for Physical Culture and Sport.   💬 Oleg Belozerov, President of the Russian Gymnastics Federation, noted the importance of the decision: "We positively evaluate the position taken by European Gy...

  Angelina Melnikova has issued a statement about her participation in the Bundesliga.     The mayor of Chemnitz has withdrawn the gymnast’s invitation to participate in the final.     Angelina’s words: ‘I didn't receive an invitation to the Bundesliga final. Unfortunately, the public attention and political discussions were much greater than the organizers expected. I am grateful to TSV Tittmoning-Chemnitz for the opportunity to participate in the semi-finals and, most importantly, for their respectful and kind attitude. In Germany, I received tremendous support from spectators, athletes, coaches, and referees. A sports arena is a place where athletes meet each other and demonstrate their abilities in their favorite sport. Sport provides the opportunity to showcase the results of their hard work and athletic prowess. Everyone deserves equal opportunities in all areas of life, and every athlete deserves to compete equally in the sports arena and fulfill their dr...

  You announced that you "unofficially" retired from athletics. How do you rate it? What achievements are you most proud of? To what extent did you realize your full potential? Were there any career moves you regret? I haven't yet mentally accepted the fact that my career is over. I understand that my chances are slim due to the personal sanctions imposed on me and my personal schedule. I work three jobs, and sometimes I don't have time to train, let alone take care of my personal needs. I have a lot of responsibility for projects and the team. I'll likely make my official retirement announcement next year, but I still want to compete somewhere, to "shake off the old days." I regret that my professional career ended so early and abruptly. I still have, as we say in sports, "something left in me." In many ways, I could have pushed a little harder, been more disciplined in my training, found a new approach... For example, the Youth Olympic Games ...