When the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) banned Russian and Belarusian gymnasts from international competitions in March in response to the invasion of Ukraine, gymnastics leagues and individual clubs were faced with a choice. Technically, since club competitions are not under the FIG, they could still allow banned athletes to compete. This used to be a great deal both for the clubs and the gymnasts – clubs got famous and high-scoring athletes and athletes got paid for their performances. However, allowing gymnasts from Russia to compete could also mean employing Russian soldiers (Dalaloyan and Nagorny are in the National Guard) and could be seen as a way to support Russia in the war. In the end, while the French, German, and Italian leagues opted not to institute a ban, several individual clubs decided not to invite Russian gymnasts to this season’s competitions. For example, Bundesliga clubs informed Nikita Nagorny, Artur Dalaloyan, and David Belyavskiy that they would not compete this season. Nagorny previously competed for TG Saar together with Oleg Verniaiev and David Belyavskiy was on KTV Straubenhardt’s roster with Illia Kovtun.
Dalaloyan said:
“All the German clubs refused [to invite] Russian gymnasts and for the next half a year, at least, we will definitely not compete in Bundesliga. I’ve already gotten a letter from the club in which I was very politely informed that I will not be invited to competitions. Other guys, including David Belyavskiy and Nikita Nagorny, got similar letters. This refusal is due to the difficult political situation in the world.”
There were two exceptions to this. Vladislav Poliashov who still lives and trains in Russia kept his contracts in France and Germany for unexplained reasons. Another exception was Artur Dalaloyan, the high-profile athlete who Italian Romagna Club managed to get after the Tokyo Olympics, who continued competing in the Serie A and won bronze in the final this weekend.
Alyona Kvasha, a multiple European medalist for Ukraine, asked the team representatives on Facebook why the club chose to retain Dalaloyan’s contract when other clubs opted not to use Russian athletes and received the following explanation:
“We are involve [sic] in sports and not in politics, we know this guy, we cannot blame all russians [sic] for the action of a fool. Sport must of where politics does not. Thanks for your point of view. Have a good day”
The motto “sports have nothing to do with politics” has been repeated non-stop by Russians over the past three months, but the reality is different. Russian sports are very connected to the politics and it’s not a coincidence that Russia invaded Ukraine the day after the Sochi Olympics ended back in 2014, riding the high of Russian victories at the Games. This year, the invasion was also timed to the end of the Olympics. Sports are a big part of propaganda in Russia, which is why they receive lucrative funding from the government. Famous athletes often end up having political careers like Svetlana Khorkina and Nikita Nagorny. Moreover, Dalaloyan’s participation in the Italian club competitions (which would fly completely under the radar in the Russian news before the war) are already part of propaganda. When Dalaloyan was interviewed after the first competitions, the main thing he was asked about was the attitudes towards Russia. He responded:
“The attitudes towards me as a Russian athlete were very good. Everyone is very friendly, many talk about Russia with love and awe, so I didn’t experience any negativity.”
And this week, Dalaloyan’s competing in Italy made Russian news again because of Illia Kovtun’s withdrawal from the competition. Kovtun who happened to be competing in Germany when the war started has not been able to go home for the last three months. He and other displaced Ukrainian gymnasts are now living and training all over Europe, hosted by various gyms. Kovtun currently lives in Italy where his gymnastics club Ginnastica Ferrara has been hosting him, his coach, and several other Ukrainian gymnasts and their family members. His club also made it to the final of the Serie A and Kovtun is one of the top gymnasts in the club but he refused to attend the competition where a Russian gymnast competes. The last time Kovtun competed (and won) against a Russian gymnast was when Ivan Kuliak wore the Z symbol on his chest. The club announced that Ukrainian athletes are forbidden from competing in the same competitions as Russians by their federation, but it was also Kovtun’s decision not to compete.
Kovtun’s coach Irina Nadiuk told Suspilne:
“We have decided not to take part in this competition. Illia will not be able to compete on the same competition floor as a Russian representative.”
The club wrote in the official statement:
“The struggles, the destruction, the violence his people are suffering makes the idea of meeting a representative of the nation responsible for all this unbearable, especially after what happened on the cup podium from the world of Doha where the Russian Kuliak got stained of that unqualified gesture that everyone remembers and for which it has been rightly sanctioned these days by the International Federation. The Ferrara Gymnastic Club, which has been home to the Ukrainian men’s national team for more than 1 month, is close to its gymnast, its coach and all the staff that live and train in Ferrara side by side every day with its gymnasts. The club has decided to compete regularly in Naples, but it respects Illia’s decision and shares his reasons.As a sign of solidarity, we won’t replace him with another gymnast on the apparatus that saw him lead in the 4 World Cups this year and in the 2 regular seasons of the A1 series and that would have surely seen him dominate in final six.”
To show support for Kovtun and Ukraine, his club teammates wore special shirts with “Stop War” written on the back.
When asked about Kovtun’s boycott of the competition, Artur Dalaloyan said he was not aware he was the reason for Kovtun’s withdrawal:
“Honestly, I’m only hearing about this now. Of course, I asked if that club [Ginnastica Ferrara] will make the final. I was informed that he [Kovtun] opened to compete in Bundesliga. I didn’t know that I was somehow involved or connected to it. I feel absolutely calm about it, it makes no difference to me at all whether [Kovtun withdrew] because of me or not because of me. I come to do my job and the rest doesn’t bother me much. It’s their business, I don’t want to discuss it or comment on it.”
Kovtun could, indeed, compete in Bundesliga this weekend but did not. Valentina Rodionenko claimed that Kovtun withdrew from the Serie A final because he did not want to lose to Dalaloyan.
Whether Romagna Club wanted their inclusion of Dalaloyan become a political statement or not, it is one now and it is used in the Russian media as an example of Italian support for Russia and respect for Russian athletes.
Thank you so much for the very informative coverage of this issue. It is much appreciated by the gymnastics community. Peace
Is Belyavskiy the only one who hasn’t been seen in public support of the war? I mean captured in photos or been quoted. Is that on purpose or just luck?