Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation confirmed the rosters for the upcoming European Championships, which does not include Oleg Verniaiev. Verniaiev is still provisionally suspended by the FIG and thus, ineligible to compete at any FIG-sanctioned competitions. He missed the 2020 European Championships and at the moment, it is not clear whether and when he will be allowed to return to competition and what is the reason for suspension. Verniaiev, his coach Gennady Sartynsky, and the FIG are all refusing to comment on the matter.
On the MAG side, Ukraine is sending three veterans – Petro Pakhniuk, Yevgen Yudenkov, and Igor Radivilov – and three new seniors – Illia Kovtun, Volodymyr Kostiuk, and Nazar Chepurniy. Chepurniy turned senior last year but did not get to compete internationally in 2020 because of the pandemic and later, because he was recovering from an injury. Kovtun and Kostiuk won gold and silver in the all-around in the junior competition at 2020 Euros and each left Mersin with an assortment of medals. This will be their first senior international competition and Ukraine will have to rely on them even more now that Verniaiev is not available.
Gennady Sartynsky told Suspilne Sport:
“We are taking two young gymnasts who will do all-around and we hope that they will be able to fight for one [extra] Olympic spot. We are also bringing another [young] one, Chepurniy, who has strong individual events. It’s not a team competition but an individual one at Euros. In order to make the team, you have to have one event on which you can fight [for medals].”
Vladyslav Hryko who was a staple on Ukrainian teams in the past few years is currently recovering from knee surgery and is an alternate for the competition. Roman Vashchenko who was on the 2020 Euros team did not do well enough on any events to be selected. Sartynsky said:
“Hryko is an alternate for now. He has strong rings but Radivilov will do rings. Out of six people, four compete on each event. Pakhniuk and two young ones will do the all-around. And only four people can be on an event. Chepurniy has better floor than Vashchenko, they are the same on pommel horse, and rings [spot] is taken by Radivilov. Only bars and high bar are left but the young ones are better there than Vashchenko. So, that’s why. If, for example, Pakhniuk didn’t do all-around and only the two young ones did, we could take Vashchenko and he could compete on rings.”
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