Russia-Ukraine War: Effects on Gymn World

[MaryClare]

Imagine spending your childhood and adolescence with Irina Viner then the rest of your, well his, life with Vladimir Putin…

 

[rlayt]

 

[JDB]

Removing pro war content from social media is a good development. It’s too little, too late for the gymnasts to be allowed in Paris. But I always appreciate incremental improvement.

 

[makam]

Yeah, but it isn’t because they’ve had an awakening and seen the light but because they think/hope it might net them something. Sure it is better to not have it out there influencing people who hadn’t seen it, but it isn’t really for the right reasons.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

That’s a genuinely unnerving point.

 

[MaryClare]

THIS THIS THIS.

Public opinion amongst pro war people here has not changed at all

 

[Rich]

Do we have a lot of pro war people here

 

[RedBirdie]

I believe by “here” Mary Clare means in Russia, not at Gymnaverse.

 

[MaryClare]

Sorry, I mean here in Russia.

 

[MissBlaineWilson]

Blockquote This has resulted in quite a lot of wiping of social media,

They can wipe all they want but screenshots are forever.

 

[MaryClare]

Forever, yes. But not accepted as concrete evidence of anything, anywhere

 

[MaryClare]

Russia and Belarus have been added to the list of participating nations for the Asian Games, being held in Hangzhou in September.

 

[Doug1233]

Absolutely fucking stupid decision.

 

[MaryClare]

In the short term, it’s unlikely to be a popular decision amongst the gymnastics community. But what does it mean for the sport in the longer term?

The demise of gymnastics in Eastern Europe has already seen the European gymnastics landscape change. GB, Italy and others have led the switch to the competition becoming more dominated by Western Europe.

But with Japan, China and Russia now in the same “conference”, does Asia now become the more significant continental championships?

 

[Doug1233]

But with Japan, China and Russia now in the same “conference”, does Asia now become the more significant continental championships?

It certainly makes the Asian Championships more interesting, and Euros less interesting.

It also makes any “Continental Qualifying spot” much easier for a GB gymnast (unless they change the number of allocated spots between Europe and Asia).

It’s fucking stupid because Belarus is literally a landlocked European country. There are parts of FINLAND that are more East than Minsk.

Russia seem to want to have their cake and eat it too. And I’m surprised that Japan and South Korea approved this move. What on earth is the point of sanctioning Russia if you’re going to continually let them bypass them over and over. Russia knows they can just dope up all their athletes and continue to not play by the rules because they always get a pass and weasel out of everything.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

For MAG, because of the prevalence of Japan, I think it already was. The position in WAG was different because Japan are less important than in MAG and Western Europe more so. So I think the answer is yes, potentially.

Euros does still have a lot more strength in depth than Asia, but without Russia there’s no definite big power. I don’t think GB quite qualify as one just yet. Conversely, the way China WAG have been heading, there wasn’t necessarily going to be one at the Asian Games for much longer either, so Russia switching could be doubly significant.

It’s an interesting point about Japan and South Korea approving this move. They probably have most to lose from Russia competing at the Asian championships in terms of medals.

 

[MaryClare]

I didn’t think Belarus would be eligible to join Asia, but apparently all former soviet countries have the choice.

 

[MaryClare]

It will be interesting. On paper, the Pac Rim should be the most prestigious gymnastics competition outside of worlds and Olympics. Yet it has never materialised as such

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

A big part of that, I’ve always thought, is that it tends to be around the same time as Euros and Russia prioritise going there in Olympic years. Which makes sense, because the ability to access a competition like Euros in the run up to the Olympics has always been an advantage to European federations. The Russians make that decision in the knowledge that everyone’s going to send their best there, which has never been true of Pac Rim even though as you say, on paper it should be better.

I’d guess Russia will probably still want to send their best to the relevant continental championships though, for bragging rights- they’re not likely to require A teams in or. China WAG have looked pretty beatable in recent years and it’s a very long time since they finished ahead of Russia in anything.

 

[Concorde]

If I remember correctly, Russia sent gymnasts to the 2006 and 2008 Pacific Alliance Championships.