“Wiener is an incredibly wise woman. The decision not to play without the Russian flag is completely correct.” -Stubailo

President of the All-Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation Irina Viner are right that Russian gymnasts should not participate in the Olympic Games without the Russian flag, said the two-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics and presenter of Angelique Stubailo .

Earlier, Wiener reported on the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team’s refusal to participate in international competitions without the country’s flag and anthem.

— Do international competitions without Russian gymnasts cause a significant loss in skill level?

— Of course, the exclusion of Russians from international competitions is a great loss for the entire world sport. But with a leader like Irina Alexandrovna Viner, with such a staff and such a base, we in Russia will always find a way out of this situation. Rhythmic gymnastics does not stop, it develops, new rules appear. An incredible number of high-level competitions are organized in Russia. More and more little girls come to gymnastics because they want to be like our Russian artists.

— How do you assess Wiener’s decision not to participate in international competitions without the Russian flag and anthem?

— In 2019, I had the chance to participate in the World Championships in Baku, where we won gold medals. We were on a pedestal under the Russian flag, the anthem of our country was playing… We sang the anthem and cried, these feelings are incomparable. I think all professional athletes who stood on the podium and sang the Russian anthem understand what I’m talking about. Irina Alexandrovna’s decision not to perform without state symbols, the flag, the anthem and all the accompanying attributes is absolutely correct. Irina Alexandrovna is an incredibly wise woman, I always support her decisions. “I agree with her on this issue,” Stubailo said in an interview with .

In December 2023, the IOC authorized Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Paris Games exclusively in neutral status. They will be prohibited from demonstrating any connection with their country and will be required to distance themselves from national sporting organizations.

The Olympic Games will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11.