"The greater the challenges, the better Russian gymnasts perform." An interview with Belyavsky
Tatyana Postnikova, Championat
October 28, 2026, 14:00 Moscow Time
An Olympic champion reflects on the 2026 World Championships, discusses his athletic plans, and talks about his participation in the Gymnastics Premier League.
The World Artistic Gymnastics Championships have concluded in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. For the first time since 2009, the Russian national team has returned from the tournament without any gold medals. However, the Russians did secure four medals—two silver and two bronze—and, crucially, earned an Olympic quota spot! Given the visa issues our athletes encountered, this is a respectable result.
Immediately following the 2026 World Championships, we spoke with a star of the recent Russian national team—Olympic and World champion David Belyavsky. In an interview with *Championat*, he reviewed the tournament, shared his thoughts on competing in the Gymnastics Premier League, and described what it’s like to face off against his former teammates from the "golden" Tokyo squad.
"I haven't ended my athletic career"
– David, you are still competing, even though Valentina Rodionenko mentioned back in 2024 that you intended to retire. Since then, you’ve stated that you reconsidered that decision. What is your current status as an athlete?
– To be honest, I don’t recall such a statement. But I haven’t ended my athletic career; I’m still in the sport. Thanks to my participation in the Gymnastics Premier League, I train in the gym regularly—because a situation could arise at any moment where I might need to compete, as has happened before. So, I’m in reasonably good shape right now. I think if I keep going like this, I’ll even be able to compete at the Russian Championships. – When you sustained an injury before the 2026 Russian Championships, you wrote that you still intended to prepare for the European Championships and for competing on the international stage. Why didn’t that happen?
– I couldn’t make it to the European Championships because I didn’t compete in the Russian Cup. Under the rules, I simply wasn’t eligible for a spot on the national team.
– Given that the "neutral status" has now been officially removed…
– Yes, but we still don’t compete under our flag or with our national anthem!
Yes, that’s actually what I wanted to ask about. The international federation has introduced additional conditions under which we could be stripped of our national symbols. What are your thoughts on this?
– The international federation has allowed us to participate, but with the caveat that the decision regarding the flag rests with local authorities. And for now, the local authorities in European countries don’t even want us present at competitions—let alone the use of our flag or anthem! They simply don’t care. They just refuse to grant visas to our athletes, and that’s that.
– You’ve stated more than once that you have no intention of returning without your flag and anthem. Does this mean that, until the situation changes completely, you see no possibility of competing on the international stage?
– Yes, exactly.
“The global standard of gymnastics has declined”
– Let’s return to the visa situation leading up to the World Championships. In your view, how significantly did it affect our athletes?
– The guys handled the challenge quite well. I’d like to congratulate the men’s team! They qualified for the Olympic Games on their very first attempt. There’s no need to wait for the next World Championships, wondering whether or not we’ll be allowed to compete. The tournament will be held in China, so there shouldn’t be any issues with entry—though, one never knows. The main thing is that the guys succeeded. It seems that the more obstacles there are, the better the Russians perform. It was the same for our team (smiles).
The situation for the girls is a bit more complicated—their leaders weren’t able to make it. While the men’s team traveled with its full roster, the girls faced more challenges. In some instances, they struggled to manage their nerves; perhaps someone else should have been the one to kick off the competition. Honestly, it’s difficult to analyze or evaluate this from the outside—you really need to be part of the team to understand what’s going on. But I suspect the girls were simply overwhelmed by nerves. No worries, though—they’ll get their moment next year!
– It seems the guys made some mistakes too—perhaps due to nerves?
– It wasn’t really nerves. In the team all-around, they simply made a few technical errors. Take Zaika on the rings, for instance: his dismount error was purely technical. What’s there to be nervous about? You just jump off—that’s it. The same goes for Seryoga Naidin; I suspect he just lost his focus for a moment. He likely thought he’d finished the routine successfully before actually landing, and that’s where the mistake happened. So, these weren’t psychological issues. The guys actually performed quite confidently across all the apparatuses. If you look back at the European Championships, you could clearly see how anxious they were—they were tense, even shaking, while competing. This time, however, it was a solid performance.
– Russian gymnasts used to be the best; things have changed since then. Could it be that the level of the Russian national team has dropped during their period of suspension?
– I think the overall level of gymnastics worldwide has declined—at least when it comes to team competitions. While there’s still intense competition on individual apparatuses, the team all-around is a different story. I’ve been watching the European and World Championships, and there are just too many falls across the board—from the Chinese and Japanese teams to our own guys. On top of that, the overall difficulty level seems to have decreased.
But the most striking thing is the sheer number of errors. Back at the 2015 World Championships, we went through every apparatus without a single fall and finished fourth. Here, every team that made it into the top three had falls.
– Yes, it was quite a sight—especially when everyone started falling on the final apparatuses. Even the Chinese and Japanese gymnasts!
– Although the Japanese team is quite battle-hardened—they’ve been through a lot—I’m not sure why they were still so nervous. Maybe they just thought, "We’ve got enough of a cushion, we can afford a fall or two" (smiles).
"The 2028 Olympics? I won’t fit into that picture anymore."
– Could you briefly summarize the World Championships for our national team?
– Our team performed with dignity! As I’ve said before, the most important thing is that the guys managed to secure Olympic qualification spots. The women’s team faced many obstacles, and the outcome was what was intended—they didn’t get a quota spot—but I am absolutely confident that next year, all our top gymnasts will be allowed to compete in the qualifiers, and they will easily secure a spot.
I’m happy for Lyudmila Roshchina; she managed to win a silver medal in the all-around—that’s a significant achievement. I’d also like to specifically congratulate Seryozha Naidin on his return to the international stage and his bronze medal on the horizontal bar.
The men’s team had many successes at this World Championship, but they need to improve the "cleanliness" of their routines; in the finals, other teams were posting execution scores of 8.5, 9.0, and even higher. And, of course, they need consistency—right now, our guys haven’t quite managed to get through every day of competition without any errors!
– In the past, the transition between generations in our national team happened gradually, with young athletes slowly being integrated into the core group. This time, however, it happened quite abruptly—very young guys were sent to the tournament. Do you get the feeling that the team is missing an experienced "fighter" to help guide the younger ones?
– There’s a lot of talk about us having a "young team," but look at someone like Seryozha Naidin—he’s already competed in both a World Championship and the Youth Olympic Games. Danya Marinov competed in the World Championships and took third place. Last year, Arseniy Dukhno became the overall champion at the World Junior Championships.
Most of the guys are already over 20—they’re quite experienced! Yet, every year, people keep saying the same thing about it being a "young team." While the team is indeed young, the athletes have already taken part in a good number of competitions. Perhaps the only exception is Saveliy Syedin—though even he has already competed in the European Championships. Honestly, there’s probably no need to dwell so much on their age.
– So, can we set aside the issue of a lack of experience?
– By and large, yes—in terms of individual experience, at least. This year was, in fact, their first time competing in the team all-around. It’s a completely different discipline—and a challenging one. Everyone has to have each other’s backs, because the country’s overall result depends on every single team member. That’s an area where they still need to put in some work. But I was pleased with how the guys handled themselves at the World Championships; they really looked like a cohesive team.
– Does that mean we have reason to be hopeful for a strong performance at the 2028 Olympics?
– Certainly, the prospects are good. But there’s always room for improvement—at the very least, they need to avoid falls and focus on clean execution. It definitely won’t be a walk in the park in the U.S. Don’t forget, the Americans will be competing on home soil. They have some young talent on their squad—look at someone like Leikin, who made quite a few mistakes recently! Still, he—like the other gymnasts—has two more years. They’ll sharpen their skills, that’s for sure. And you can never count out the Chinese team; two of their top athletes didn’t even make the trip this time. So, our team needs to work even harder, with even greater dedication.
– You previously mentioned that you weren’t aiming for the 2028 Olympics. Has that stance changed?
– I’m not sure. I don’t think I’d really fit in anymore. The guys need to build their own circle, their own core group to move forward with. They’ll have plenty of competitions ahead to gel as a team—why get in their way? Besides, for me to even consider preparing for the Games, I’d have to start training seriously. You can’t just train for a month and then head off to the Olympic Games.
– You remain an active gymnast, while also working for the Russian Gymnastics Federation and overseeing your own school. How do you manage to balance it all?
– In reality, we meet via video call to discuss pressing issues, competition schedules, and a wide range of other matters. It’s not necessary for me to travel anywhere to have these discussions; everything can be handled via video call.
– And what, specifically, does your work on the committee for the development of artistic gymnastics entail?
– I share my perspective on various issues as they arise. We discuss different topics and the agenda, and we consider what steps would be best for the development of our sport.
– The final round of the Gymnastics Premier League group stage begins on November 1st. Lokomotiv is sitting comfortably in third place and should advance to the playoffs, but things could still change. Are you feeling any pre-round jitters?
– Yes, in sports, everything can change in an instant—but we have confidence in our team. We’ll be fielding our strongest lineup for this upcoming round. Egor Sharamkov from Belarus, who just competed at the World Championships, will be joining us; he’ll definitely strengthen our squad.
– You serve as both a gymnast and the team captain. Which role do you find more challenging?
– Whenever I step out to compete, I’m always nervous—after all, I’m performing for the team. Throughout my entire career, that has always been the most significant and nerve-wracking part for me. Plus, my own level of preparation isn’t quite what it used to be; I train a bit less, which makes me even more anxious. But honestly, I think I get even more nervous watching the other guys—it’s incredibly intense to watch from the sidelines. I just really want them to succeed. It’s always been this way, even back when we competed as part of the Russian national team. You never truly know what’s going on in someone else’s head, so you just have to hope and trust that they’ll pull it off.
– What does your role as captain actually entail? For instance, do you decide who competes on which apparatus, or does the coaching staff handle that?
– We have a division of responsibilities. The coaches send me a preliminary list of who they plan to assign to each apparatus, and then we discuss the details together. It’s crucial to carefully plan the order of the athletes and the sequence of events. We always consider in advance who should go last—specifically, who is the most mentally stable.
– Is it really that important?
– Yes. The competition format means the event lasts nearly two hours, yet we only get a warm-up at the very beginning. So, you have to figure out who is prepared—to put it bluntly—to perform their routines "cold," right off the bat.
– As captain, do you find yourself having to provide psychological or moral support to the team members?
– Absolutely! I try to offer encouragement and help get everyone—the guys and the girls—in the right mindset. Recently, I encountered a situation I’d never faced before: one of our girls was about to go up for the balance beam, but she was in tears. I thought, "How can this be? She’s due to compete, and here she is, standing there crying." I tried to cheer her up, maybe make her laugh a little, just to ease her nerves. She did end up making a mistake on the beam, but that’s okay—it’s sports; anything can happen. As I mentioned, since there’s no warm-up, some athletes find it quite challenging—some struggle to summon their focus at the critical moment. That’s something you have to learn to do. That’s exactly why we have such fantastic events as the Gymnastics Premier League—it’s a great place to test yourself in this kind of format.
– What is it like to compete against teams where your former national team teammates now serve as coaches, captains, or even fellow athletes?
– It’s just the same as it’s always been (smiles). I’m no longer competing against them; I’m competing against myself. I just want to perform to the best of my ability. If an opponent happens to be better than me, well, that’s just how it is—what can I do about it?
– And what about the rivalry between the teams themselves?
– I don’t have any issues there, either. I’m on good terms with everyone. Naturally, I want my own team to win, but I don’t wish any ill will toward the others. I certainly don’t want to see athletes on the opposing team make mistakes or fall. It’s better if everyone—on both our side and theirs—performs well, and then we’ll see how the judges score it. May the best team win.
– This is your second season in the Gymnastics Premier League (GPL). What has changed during this time?
– The main change is the format. Two years ago, I was part of the Chelyabinsk-based team "T-74," which Andrei Telitsin and I founded; it was an all-male squad. Now, we have a mixed team—it includes both men and women. It’s a completely different kind of competition with a different format: there are fewer rounds, and each athlete performs on only three apparatuses.
– At the same time, just like last year, the teams are actively working on their media presence—running channels and sharing behind-the-scenes details of their training. Has this had a significant impact on the number of spectators in the stands?
– When we held a home meet in Chelyabinsk, it was fantastic—we had a full house. Now, here in Moscow, some of our meets are also drawing capacity crowds, which is really great to see. It’s wonderful that people are interested in gymnastics. Nikita Nagorny also invites various media personalities from other fields to cover the competitions, helping to draw more attention to gymnastics.
– How important is the Gymnastics Premier League for our sport and its development?
– It’s sort of a joke, but then again, not really (smiles). Daniil Novikov is on our team. While competing in the Premier League, he earned a spot in the national squad preparing for the World Championships. Before one of our meets, he was actually pulled from our roster because he had been named an alternate for the national team. Of course, Daniil had already been part of the national setup—they were counting on him—but it’s still an interesting point: it turns out you can go straight from the Gymnastics Premier League into the Russian national team and prepare for the World Championships.
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