Russian gymnast refuses to compete for EU state after scandal

Jelizaveta Polstjanaja, the rhythmic gymnast who was born in Latvia to Russian parents, has announced she will no longer represent her native country on the international stage amid a dispute in which she claims she was asked to give up her Russian citizenship give up to continue with the Latvian team.

Polstjanaya, 19, has been at the center of a scandal after she said on Instagram earlier this month that she had received an ultimatum from Latvia’s gymnastics authorities asking her to give up her Russian passport if she were to compete in upcoming events such as the World Championships in next month in Sofia, Bulgaria.

However, this was contradicted by the Latvian Gymnastics Federation, which only asked if Polstjanaja would be willing to present herself as the sole Latvian citizen, since athletes who claim dual citizenship are not entitled to state funding.

Last week, Latvian gymnastics bosses announced in a statement that they would allow Polstjanaja to represent Latvia, but that she would have to fund her own expenses due to her status as a dual citizen of Latvia and Russia.

However, Polstjanaja, who suspended her training during the trial, said in a statement that the restrictions imposed on her by the Latvian Gymnastics Federation to train and compete left her no choice but to withdraw from the country’s representation withdraw at future events.

“All this time I kept in shape with home training, since I understood that until my status was finally determined, I had no right to train in Russia‘ she said via RIA Novosti.

“This is forbidden by the Latvian authorities. Together with the coach, after weighing all the circumstances, we came to the conclusion that I would not be able to reach optimal competitive form to perform adequately at the World Championships. The training process has been disrupted and preparation time is limited.

“Forced preparation is out of the question in my case, as I have a number of chronic injuries that require a special approach to training, especially after a long break.

“I can’t afford to appear at a tournament as important and responsible as the World Cup without any preparation. It’s not just my reputation as an athlete, it’s also the reputation of the country I represent.”

Teenager Polstjanaja added that the excitement surrounding the matter affected her emotional and psychological state, adding that she “needs time” to solve the problem and evaluate their goals of one day competing in the Olympics.

“Changes to the law on athletes with Russian citizenship, adopted by the Latvian Olympic Committee (LOC) on May 18, 2022, do not allow further progress towards my goal of qualifying for and participating in the Olympic Games,” She said.

“Throughout my sporting career, my family has fully funded my activities. Entry into the Latvian Olympic team only partially allowed to get rid of the financial burden. Withdrawal of funding would never be the reason for abandoning my goal.

“You know that in the future I will no longer be allowed to participate in qualifying competitions and Olympic Games.

“Due to the circumstances mentioned above, the restrictions on my sports activities and the current misunderstandings, I no longer see the possibility of continuing my sports career in Latvia”, concluded the star.

Russian gymnasts remain banned by the global government agency FIG, which imposed a ban in early March after conflict erupted in Ukraine.

Latvia was among nations calling for tough sporting sanctions against Russia. The national parliament, the Saeima, ruled in April that the country’s teams and athletes would not be allowed to compete in tournaments in Russia or Belarus.

“Anyone who violates this provision may no longer be included in national teams or receive funding for training or competition expenses from the state or local budget,” explained the decision.

In particular, the Latvian ice hockey stars who play in the Russia-based KHL are affected by the change.

They are automatically banned from the national team for signing for Russian sides, although some players – like goalkeeper Janis Kalnins – have opted to continue doing so.

Latvian hockey team Dinamo Riga withdrew from the KHL ahead of the 2022–23 season, having previously been part of the league since 2008.