Still no change on the status of Russian gymnasts wishing to compete individually at the Paris Olympics.
TASS reports that the FIG have yet to release the conditions for gymnasts’ eligibility to qualify for neutral status. These criteria have been expected since July. Valentina Rodionenko says that she believes that the FIG are waiting for any possible ‘changes in the political situation’ before they release the information.
Russian gymnasts are competing this week in Sochi for the prestigious Russia Cup in All Around and Event Finals. This is the top individual event in the Russian gymnastics calendar, which would normally qualify gymnasts for the World Championships. The competition continues today with the Women’s AA. Top contenders for the title are the veteran Angelina Melnikova, gold medallist at the 2020 (2021) Olympics and World AA Champion in 2021 and Viktoria Listunova, Olympic Gold Medallist and European AA Champion in 2021. Newcomer Diana Kustova, who has yet to compete at senior international level because of the ban on Russian participation in international competition, is also expected to do well.