Russian, Belarusian gymnasts allowed back with flags

European Gymnastics has lifted all sanctions imposed on athletes from Russia and Belarus related to the war in Ukraine, following the example of International Gymnastics Federation, according to DPA.

In a statement released on Sunday, European Gymnastics said its executive committee decided, following an online vote, that athletes from the two countries may once again compete with immediate effect while displaying their national symbols, such as flags and anthems, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

“European Gymnastics will follow the decision of World Gymnastics to lift all restrictions applicable to the participation of Russia/Belarus, as the ad-hoc rules of World Gymnastics are no longer in force,” the statement said.

The decision still needs to be ratified during an extraordinary online general assembly, which “will take place soon,” the continental organization added.

International Gymnastics Federation lifted sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes on Monday. The athletes had been excluded from international competitions in February 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and were later allowed to compete as neutral athletes after a strict verification process beginning in 2024.

Russian gymnast Angelina Melnikova won last year’s world titles in the all-around and vault competitions while competing under a neutral flag.

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