Russian gymnasts to return to int'l games: sports federation

Russian gymnasts and judges will return to international competitions as neutral participants, local media reported Wednesday, citing the Russian Gymnastics Federation.

Alisa Medvedeva of Russia competes during the individual all-around qualifications at the 2024 International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament in Doha, Qatar, on Nov. 20, 2024. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua)

The participation of Russian athletes and judges has been confirmed in a series of international gymnastics competitions, according to a statement by the federation cited by TASS news agency.

The federation noted that efforts are ongoing for Russian athletes to resume full-fledged participation in international sports.

In March 2022, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) suspended Russian and Belarusian gymnastics from its tournaments. Later, the international federation eased the sanctions, allowing the two countries' athletes to compete as neutrals.

The Russian Gymnastics Federation said earlier in April that the country's athletes would not participate in the upcoming FIG competitions despite being granted neutral status, citing "numerous unfounded and biased refusals" to grant such status to athletes.