Russia-Ukraine War: Effects on Gymn World

[RichardL]

Does joining Asia now mean that Russia and Belarus will no longer compete at the European championships under normal conditions?

 

[MaryClare]

Yes it would

 

[Doug1233]

Definitely makes euros more interesting. Euros always used to be the powerhouse continent for gymnastics. But now I guess the Asian Championships become a lot more interesting.

And “ex-Soviet” countries absolutely shouldn’t have a choice to compete in an Asian Championships. Russia, sure. But the last I heard, the Berlin Wall fell down.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Plus Kazhakstan and the Caucasus countries. None of which are Belarus.

 

[MaryClare]

The explanation given is that all ex soviet countries (I’m not sure why @Doug1233 has put in quotation marks. It’s fact) are successor countries of a country that could have decided to compete in sports as an asian nation, or as a European one.

 

[Doug1233]

At what point does 30 years of “competing as a European country” and “not being controlled by a country, a part of which sits in Asia” disqualifies one from changing their continental designation?

Where do we draw the line? How many years do we go back? The “could” in your sentence is doing a lot of heavy lifting. The US “could” have decided not to fight the British. I suppose the US “could” have chosen to compete at Euros, too.

It’s irrelevant. I put “ex soviet” in quotations because it’s old history. We should no longer refer to these countries as “ex soviet”; particularly with what’s going on in Ukraine. It’s an ugly way to describe a sovereign independent nation. It’s not the same as “the Commonwealth”. Britain isn’t bombing hospitals in India and trying to reclaim it as British territory.

In any event, any “ex soviet” country west of St Petersburg is clearly and obviously European. It’s completely indicative of their disgusting governments that they’re both trying to weasel out of the rules like this.

 

[Rich]

I thought they could compete in Asia but could not qualify through asia and take an asian olympic spot.

 

[MaryClare]

It has yet to be determined if Russia will be able to compete at the Asian championships, but if we do then we will qualify for Paris. But that’s not to say that the IOC will permit any Russian athletes to compete there. There are still many ifs.

The only thing that has happened is Russia and Belarus being invited to the asian Games, but that is not an Olympic qualifier for gymnastics, however for other sports it is recognised for world rankings etc, so some Russian athletes in other sports probably will earn Olympic spots via this route.

 

[Doug1233]

How many Asian full team spots are there? Could thick knock out a country like South Korea from qualifying a full team to the Olympics?

 

[MaryClare]

I think the way it works is that it reduces the number of individual spots for Asia

 

[Doug1233]

Surely there’s a fixed number of full team spots for the Asian Continent? And that number cannot be changed in this Quad?

 

[MaryClare]

I am very uncertain so don’t take it as fact, but the number of individual spots is linked to the number of teams from the continent which qualify.

Very few individual spots are granted to Europe for instance, because a large number of teams from Europe will qualify. Most European gymnasts from countries that are unlikely to qualify a team, have to qualify outright through the World Cup. See Voinea’s schedule for instance

 

[irichluck21]

5 MAG teams and 4 WAG teams

So if Russia were allowed to compete, there would be one less spot.

Kazakhstan was the last qualified MAG team last year and WAG was Taiwan.

 

[irichluck21]

I am not as familiar with Belarus as I used to be.
WAG is pretty much non-existent so they wouldn’t be a threat in WAG.

But could the Belarus MAG team be a threat to South Korea and Taiwan to take another team spot?
Are they as good as Kazkhstan?

If both Belarus and Russia compete for World slots, we know Russia would take one of the 5 for MAG and one of the 5 for WAG. But would Belarus “steal” another MAG team spot at Worlds? They were 20th at Worlds in 2019 but that is because they finished 24th at Worlds in 2018.

Belarus (and Russia) have yet to compete under the new Worlds qualification system.

 

[MaryClare]

No. Belarus is irrelevant outside of RG and to an extent, trampoline

 

[JDB]

An interview with Oleg Verniaiev.

Russian Athletes Are Doing Well, While Ukrainians Are Dying – Interview With a Ukrainian Olympian

How Ukrainian athletes are preparing for the competition despite the hardships of war, and how to ban Russians, most of whom still support the war, from the Olympics.

www.kyivpost.com

 

[MaryClare]

The Athletes forum of the Asian Olympic Council has sent a letter to the IOC supporting the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Olympics. A decision is due next week

 

[Doug1233]

It’s all a big pile of bullshit.

 

[irichluck21]

The Athletes forum of the Asian Olympic Council has sent a letter to the IOC supporting the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Olympics.

Has a letter from European Committee or the Pan American Olympic Committee expressing support of not allowing these athletes made its way to the IOC?

 

[MaryClare]

I wouldn’t have thought so, since it is in relation to Russia and Belarus being admitted to the Olympic committee of Asia. That does not lift the IOC ban, nor bans from sports federations