Former Olympic and World Champion Nikita Nagorny spoke to TASS on the 23rd December.
Nagorny speaks for himself here, trashing the IOC/FIG ban on Russia’s participation in international competition and suggesting that world sport is running back to Russia with its tail between its legs, desperate for his country’s return to World and Olympic tournaments.
Of course, I personally would like to have the Russian teams back - but only after peace has been restored! I’ll be delighted if Melnikova, Listunova and their like can secure neutral status to compete as individuals, and I do think that the sport will be the brighter for their originality, technique and artistry. But the world can do without Nagorny’s bullish pretence about the whole situation - which is all very sad and difficult for everyone.
I prefer the RGF’s official, calm and professional approach to Nagorny’s rather charmless blustering. The fierce confidence that made Nagorny such an exciting gymnast to watch now risks making him into a pariah. Applying for neutral status in a polite and modest way, as the gymnasts are, is the only practical way forward.
The BBC’s Steve Rosenberg last night reported on the public mood in Moscow as the new year approached. Not one Russian of the many he interviewed wanted the war against Ukraine to continue.
It will take a lot more than these gentle voices of reason to force change on the Russian state’s approach to international relations - but it’s a start. I’d like to think that the RGF’s actions are part of national progress towards improving communications with the West. Nagorny’s stance isn’t helping matters, though. I do hope he doesn’t spoil things for his former team mates.
I present a Google translate of Nagorny’s own words here (see below) for the record, but they are in no way endorsed by the behaviour of the ‘other’ gymnasts and officials, who are quietly doing their best to continue their lives peacefully.
The more Russian athletes receive neutral status and then regain their former leading positions in the international arena, the more obvious will be the absurdity of athletes performing without their country's flag and anthem. This opinion was expressed to TASS by Nikita Nagorny, the 2020 Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics.
🇷🇺"I believe that the more our athletes win medals at international competitions - no matter what status - the faster we will return our flag and anthem," Nagorny said. "The world community sees that in artistic gymnastics, competition has dropped significantly in the absence of Russians. Having returned to international competitions, we will again begin to win awards, and many will find it absurd that Russians do not have a flag and anthem. Although, I think, many people already consider this absurd."
🤝 "The 2024 Olympics, before the start of which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) tried in every way to infringe on the rights of the qualified Russian athletes and not let them into Paris, is a thing of the past. Now there is a different story, when there is interaction between federations of specialized sports. Let me remind you that the IOC can only give recommendations to international federations, which are independent in themselves. And one by one, these organizations decide to admit our athletes in a neutral status," Nagorny concluded.
First Vice President of the Russian Gymnastics Federation (RGF) and member of the Executive Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Vasily Titov previously told TASS that the RGF is currently working on the issue of obtaining neutral status for domestic athletes for their subsequent return to tournaments under the auspices of the FIG.
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