MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. Russian gymnast Dina Averina told TASS on Thursday she was proud listening to the First Piano Concerto by Pyotr Tchaikovsky instead of the national anthem during her awarding ceremonies at the 2021 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Japan’s Kitakyushu.
Earlier on Thursday, Dina Averina won the gold of the championship in Japan in the women’s clubs exercise becoming the 16-thime winner of the world championships. Later in the day, Averina took the silver in the women’s ribbon exercise.
"During the award ceremony, I completely forgot that this music was used instead of our national anthem as it started playing," Averina said. "However, when this music was played I felt proud of my country and people, who supported us. I was pleased to hear it."
On October 27, Averina won two gold medals of the 2021 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships. She took the gold in the women’s hoop exercise and in the women’s ball exercise.
Dina Averina, 23, is now the 16-time World Champion in addition to her three silver and one bronze of the world championships. She is also a 10-time winner of the European Championships and the silver medal winner of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The gold medal winners of the gymnastics competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo decided against participating in Japan’s Kitakyushu tournament this year. Israel’s 2020 Olympic Champion in the women’s all-around event, Linoy Ashram, stated almost two months ago her decision to skip this championship.
The national team of Bulgarian athletes announced their withdrawal from the team competitions on Tuesday after one of its gymnasts suffered an injury during a training session in Kitakyushu.
The 2021 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Japan’s Kitakyushu is running between October 27 and 31. The Japanese city also hosted the 2021 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships on October 18-24.
Due to current sanctions in place against the Russian sports, national gymnasts of Russia participate in the international tournament in Japan’s Kitakyushu as Team RGF (Russian Gymnastics Federation) and under the flag of the RGF. Averina was awarded her gold medals to the tune of the First Piano Concerto by Pyotr Tchaikovsky instead of the national anthem.
Sanctions against Russian sports
On December 17, 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland’s Lausanne partially upheld WADA’s (the World Anti-Doping Agency) previous ruling on a number of sanctions against Russian sports.
Following the CAS decision, Russian athletes were deprived of their right to participate in all World Championships, Olympic and Paralympic Games under the national flag of Russia and to the tune of the national anthem for a two-year period.
The ruling of the Swiss-based court also stripped Russia of the right to bid for the organization of all international sports tournaments for a period of two years. WADA’s sanctions will be in force until December 2022.