Gymnast representing Latvia Elisabeth Polstyanaya decided not to continue his sports career in the country after having problems participating in the World Cup.
Earlier, the athlete said that she was not allowed to participate in the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Bulgaria. Polstyanaya was born in Latvia, but grew up in Russia. She obtained Latvian citizenship in 2018 and has since represented the country in international competitions. On , Polstyanaya said she had been given an ultimatum: to renounce Russian citizenship in exchange for participating in the World Cup. In August, the Latvian Gymnastics Federation announced that the athlete was allowed to continue playing for the country at his own expense.
– After being informed on July 29 that I could not participate in the World Championships and the tournaments preceding them in San Marino and Romania, as well as my exclusion from the Olympic team, the coach and I decided to suspend training treat. Since the reason for the exclusion from the national team is that I have Russian citizenship, which I cannot refuse. The situation looked like an unsolvable problem with no positive prospects. I was depressed and needed the support of my relatives, so I decided to return to Russia.
All the while, I kept myself in shape with home workouts, as I understood that I was not allowed to train in Russia until my status was finally determined. This is prohibited by the Latvian authorities. With the coach, after evaluating all the circumstances, we came to the conclusion that I would not be able to acquire the optimal competitive form in order to perform well at the World Championships. The training process has been interrupted and preparation time is limited.
The demands imposed on me by the Latvian Olympic Union (LOV) and the federation’s decision to withdraw me from competitions have affected my psychological state. To achieve emotional and psychological stability, I need time.
The amendments to the law adopted by the Latvian Olympic Committee (LOK) on May 18, 2022 concerning athletes of Russian nationality do not allow further progress towards my goal of qualification and participation in the Olympic Games. Throughout my sports career, my family has fully funded my activities. Entering the Latvian Olympic team only partially relieved the financial burden. Deprivation of funding would never be the reason for abandoning my goal.
You know that I will no longer be allowed to participate in qualifying competitions and participate in the Olympic Games in the future. Due to the above circumstances, the limitations of my sports activities and the current situation of misunderstanding, I no longer see the possibility of continuing my sports career in Latvia,” Polstyanaya said in a letter to the Latvian Gymnastics Federation. (LVF), which was available to RIA Novosti Sport.
RIA Novosti Sport
Source : MatchTV
