Russia, Belarus Banned From Intl. Gymnastics
Lausanne, March 5: International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials after the invasion of Ukraine. The decision was taken in an emergency meeting of the Executive Committee (EC) of the FIG.
The EC took into account the latest recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the stance of the FIG Athletes’ Commission and the deep concerns and positions expressed by many national Gymnastics federations.
“Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials, including judges, are not allowed to take part in FIG competitions or FIG-sanctioned competitions from March 7, 2022, until further notice,” said FIG in a statement. This means that athletes and officials from these two countries will not participate in the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan from March 10 to 13. “The FIG would like to stress that these exceptional and emergency measures are decided and issued in view of the above-mentioned extraordinary circumstances. They constitute preventive measures aiming at preserving the integrity of Gymnastics, the safety and integrity of members and all athletes and participants, and at fighting against all forms of violence and of sports injustice.”
However, Russian and Belarusian nationals who are members of the FIG Executive Committee or of the FIG technical committees are not affected by this measure when acting in their capacity as FIG Authorities.
