The head coach of the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team, Irina Viner, announced that Russian athletes will be unable to compete at the World Championship, which is set to take place in August 2025 in Brazil.
“Unfortunately, Russian gymnasts will not have the opportunity to participate in the World Championship in Brazil, even under a neutral status. The issue is that to compete in this tournament, they must first participate in qualifying events - at the European Championship in Tallinn. However, we cannot be admitted to this event due to a ban imposed by the European Gymnastics Federation,” Viner's words are quoted by TASS.
Previously, Viner did not rule out the possibility that Russian gymnasts may compete on the international stage in a neutral status in 2025.
The competitions will be held from August 20 to 24 in Rio de Janeiro. Most Russian sports federations have been under sanctions since 2022. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) allowed athletes from Russia to participate in international competitions under a neutral status starting January 1, 2024. Russian gymnasts have refused to compete under the conditions set by FIG.