Russia-Ukraine War: Effects on Gymn World

[QuietColours]

May his memory be a blessing.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Awful news. Slava Ukraini.

 

[MaryClare]

Update on Russia and Belarus’ participation

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1136894/fig-postpone-decision-on-russia-july

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Could be an attempt at a middle ground option. It’s too late for them to have a team at worlds or the Olympics, but still leaves open the possibility of individuals qualifying in 2024.

 

[MaryClare]

Even if russia competed as a team at worlds this year, the possibility of being able to compete as a team at the Olympics was already ruled out.

Listunova could well end up competing at 2 Olympics having never been to worlds

 

[J175]

So if Russia are out for Worlds, the next chance for their athletes to qualify for Paris will be the World Cup series next year.

Countries without teams can qualify a maximum of three individuals. World Cup qualifying spots this time are only limited to one per country per apparatus (so they can’t get both bars spots), so if the best Russian gymnasts are allowed to compete they’ll probably wrap up all their spots at the World Cups without needing a continental championship. Three of the eight World Cup spots in WAG going to Russians was probably not what the rule makers had in mind, but some of those spots were likely to go to fairly random people anyway.

There is the potential complication that one of the qualifying World Cups events is Cottbus, so we could end up with a mess if Germany don’t want to host the event with Russian participation.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Was it? How did that work? I thought the remaining full team spots were going to be assigned based on 2023 worlds.

 

[Passion]

The IOC said only Russian individuals can possibly participate in the Olympics. No Russian “team” events for any sport.

 

[MaryClare]

If Russia had been able to compete at worlds and qualify a team, they would have been able to send 5 athletes, but would have been ineligible to compete in the team final

 

[Rich]

I am confused. If you qualified as an individual event like Jade did last time can still do all around?

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

This is even more fucking confusing than last time.

And it’s a good point @J175 makes about whether Russian athletes will be allowed into Germany to compete. I know last year it was possible to qualify for worlds based on one world cup finish in WAG, but surely it’s going to be much more competitive in 2024.

 

[MaryClare]

They probably will, since they will likely have long term Schengen visitors visas. Hence how Dalaloyan could train and compete in Italy. Whilst these visas can be revoked, and have been, it’s been of the Russian super rich and government officials, not any sports people. If someone’s happens to be up from renewal however there could be problems

 

[MaryClare]

That is the maximum of any one single stay, but it’s possible to get one that lasts 5 years rather than having to apply each time. The majority of athletes in Russia have it, and many middle class Russians who travel frequently

 

[MaryClare]

Who is they? It’s a FIG event, so if the FIG has decided to allow Russian competitors, who is going to not allow them to register?

 

[J175]

They could follow the recent decisions in the sport of Fencing, which has allowed Russia to resume competition, prompting several countries including Germany to withdraw from hosting events. Given recent noises coming from the German government about potentially banning Russian athletes from the country I think however it happens Russian gymnasts will not be at Cottbus.

 

[J175]

All the individual qualifiers can do the AA in Paris.

Given the likelihood (if all their gymnasts are allowed to compete) of three Russians qualifying via the World Cup, leaving them ineligible for a place at the continental championships, any who want to qualify will have to go for the World Cup apparatus route.

 

[MaryClare]

That would require different countries to revoke visas, and for no other Schengen country to issue one. They aren’t issued by the EU. Germany does not necessarily have direct control here.

Many high profile Russian tennis players and football players have competed across the EU for the past year, so I don’t see them specifically targeting a minority sport where the athletes are not particularly well off.

 

[MaryClare]

Who is “we”? Is it the same people as your previous “they”?

Remember, this is in the situation where by the FIG has allowed Russian athletes who meet certain criteria, to compete at World Cup competitions and potentially qualify to the Olympic Games (their participation in Paris will depend ultimately on the IOC). If other countries/athletes disagree, then yes, they should boycott. That’s what should happen. But the FIG won’t u turn because of a boycott, it will merely mean that Russian athletes will have fewer competitors to beat.

 

[JDB]

I understand why Germany withdrew from FIE fencing events. Imagine dealing with Alisher Usmanov for 14 years. It’s not worth the trouble at that point.

 

[Bob]

This is where it becomes unfair. For one sport to allow and another to not. If tennis and football players are competing across the EU then gymnasts should be the same.