Russian Gymnasts Refuse to Compete Under FIG, Citing Unfair Treatment
The Russian Gymnastics Federation has announced that all Russian athletes in artistic and rhythmic gymnastics will boycott international competitions under the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) due to what they perceive as unfair treatment. The decision was made public on the federation’s Telegram channel, stating that the reason for the boycott is the numerous unjust and biased rejections of the FIG’s special committee in granting permission for Russian gymnasts to participate in competitions.
In July, the FIG announced that it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral status from January 1, 2024. However, the criteria for eligibility stipulate that only those gymnasts and teams that do not support Russia’s military actions in Ukraine and have no connection to the military can be invited to compete. Social media accounts of the athletes must also be checked for past statements.
The federation has made several demands for the participation of the approved athletes, including that uniform colors for artistic gymnasts be light blue and for rhythmic gymnasts to wear all-white attire. National symbols are not allowed on the uniforms and the national anthem and any verbal expressions of national affiliation are prohibited.
Earlier in March, the president of the Russian Gymnastics Federation, Oleg Belosjorov, had announced that the federation had submitted 26 applications for a neutral status to the FIG’s special committee, of which four were rejected.