Russia is one of the greatest sports powers on the planet and there are hundreds of elite athletes who in all disciplines may be affected by the sanctions that the international federations will impose on them, at the request of the IOC.
From the brand new number one in world tennis, Daniel Medvedevto the newly proclaimed Olympic figure skating champion Anna ShcherbakovaGoing through gymnasts, athletes, swimmers and soccer, basketball, volleyball or water polo teams, Russia has first-rate athletes in practically all disciplines.
His exclusion from international competitions, in retaliation for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, adds to the sanction of two years without participating with his flag and his anthem that they are already serving as a result of the irregularities in their anti-doping policy and that expires at the end of 2022.
After the last Summer and Winter Olympic Games played in a span of just seven months due to the pandemic, Russia is the second country in the world by number of medals, 103 (71 in Tokyo + 32 in Beijing), tied with China, and is the fourth for gold medals won, with 26 (20 + 6).
These are some of the great stars of current Russian sports:
Daniel Medvedev
For the first time since 2004, a tennis player outside the so-called ‘Big Four’ made up of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray ranked world number one on Monday.
At the age of 26, Medvedev fulfills his childhood dream of reaching the top of the ATP rankings and does so with a background of 13 tournament wins, including one Grand Slam (2021 US Open), four Masters 1,000 and the finals. 2020 ATP.
The Muscovite tennis player published this weekend a message on his networks in which he asked for “peace in the world, peace between countries” on behalf of the children of the world.
Similarly, it was positioned Andrew Rublev, sixth racket in the world. After conquering the Dubai tournament, she wrote about the camera where the winners sign “No war, please”. “Now, it’s not about tennis, it’s not about sport, it’s about having peace around the world. We need to support each other, “said the also Muscovite at the subsequent press conference.
The ATP has not yet ruled on the participation of Russian players in its tournaments, among which the next on the calendar is Indian Wells, starting on March 10, with Medvedev and Rublev among those registered.
Soccer teams and clubs
In the year of the men’s World Cup and the women’s European Championship, the Russian soccer teams will be excluded from both competitions if there are no changes in the sanctions agreed by FIFA and UEFA “until further notice.”
The men’s team should have played the semifinal of the qualifying play-off for Qatar 2022 against Poland on March 24. The women’s team had already qualified for the European Championship in England in July and was immersed in the qualifying phase for the World Cup that year. comes in Australia and New Zealand.
In addition, Spartak Moscow was qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League, which they will no longer play.
Anna Shcherbakova
At the age of 17, Shcherbakova already has the world figure skating title, achieved in 2021, and the Olympic title, won a few days ago in Beijing.
The next world championships will start on March 21 in Montpellier (France) and the International Skating Union has already excluded Russia from all its competitions.
The Averinas
Dina and Arina Averina, perfect twins who have collected 36 world medals in rhythmic gymnastics (21 and 15, respectively), ended 2021 with a bitter aftertaste as neither of them took home the Olympic gold with which they would have crowned a glorious cycle.
The European Championships will be in June in Tel Aviv and the World Cups in Sofia in September, perhaps in time for the sanctions related to the war conflict to be lifted.
Maria Laitskene
Triple world high jump champion Maria Lasitskene is one of 22 Russian athletes who can compete internationally as neutrals, unaffected by anti-doping sanctions, by meeting stringent eligibility criteria.
World Athletics maintains the suspension of the entire Russian team, with the exceptions mentioned.
But one sanction falls on top of the other: Lasitskene, also an Olympic champion, was going to compete this Wednesday at the Madrid meeting of the world indoor track circuit and has already fallen off the entry list.
Yevgeny Rylov
One of the best in Europe since 2018, Evgeny Rylov established himself as the Russian swimmer of the moment at the Tokyo Games with his two Olympic golds in the 100 and 200 backstroke, as well as a silver in the 4×200 free relay. He was the first Russian Olympic champion swimmer in 25 years.
He is also double world and European champion of the double hectometer and holds the continental record.
There will be World Swimming Championships in June in Budapest and European Championships in August in Rome. FINA allows Russian swimmers to compete as neutrals, without a flag, anthem or any symbol that identifies them with their country.
Zenit, CSKA and Unics Kazan, in the Euroleague
The three basketball clubs excluded from the men’s EuroLeague basketball, Zenit St. Petersburg, CSKA Moscow and UNICS Kazan, were ranked in the top ten this season.
Among them, the best Zenit, fifth with 14 wins and nine losses. His coach is the Spanish Xavi Pascual.
Last season CSKA qualified for the final four, in which they finished in last position.
Aleksandr Vlasov
The victory in the Vuelta a la Comunidad Valenciana that was held that month of February led to a Russian seal, that of the runner Aleksandr Vlasov, of the Bora Hansgrohe team.
He is the best Pro Tour cyclist at the moment, 25 years old, from Astana and signed by the German team to compete in the grand tours.
In 2021 he was second in Paris-Nice, third in Il Lombardia and fourth in the Giro.
For the moment, he is registered for next Sunday’s Paris-Nice as leader of the ranks.
Pavel Sivakov, born in Italy 24 years ago but of Russian nationality, is one of the great hopes of cycling in his country. He burst onto the professional scene by winning the 2019 Tour of Poland and Tour of the Alps and finishing ninth in the Giro. He has declared himself “totally against the war” and has asked that “the Russians not be hated”.
The Russian cycling team Gazprom does not have the highest Pro Tour category, but it does have the Pro Team.
Nikita Nagorny
He arrived at the Tokyo Games as world gymnastics champion and, although he had to settle for bronze in the individual competition, Nikita Nagornyy led Russia to the Olympic team title, which they had not won for 25 years.
Russia’s dominance in the team competition was total, as the women also won gold, with Angelina Melnikova also winning individual bronze.
His big dates this year, pending sanctions, should be the Europeans in August in Munich and the world championships in Liverpool in October.
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Source: Eluniverso
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