gymnast Dalaloyan declined the invitation of the Armenian national team – EADaily, April 17, 2023 – Society. News, Russia News

The head coach of the Russian national gymnastics team Valentina Rodionenko commented on the information in the media that the Russian athlete, Olympic champion Artur Dalaloyan, refused to play for the Armenian team.

“Dalaloyan refused to move to the Armenian team? This is right. Yes, they offer him, but Arthur made it very clear where he was and with whom. Dalaloyan did the right thing, he is a normal, well-mannered person, and he couldn’t just take it and do otherwise, ” Rodionenko said.

Also, the coach of the national team commented on the results of the European Artistic Gymnastics Championship in Turkey, which ended yesterday, April 16:

“I watched the European Championship in Turkey; I can say that the tournament sometimes looked like a pitiful sight. There are still interesting guys in the men’s competitions, but the girls have no one to look at. The British became the absolute champion of Europe: she still has some floor exercises, she moves, but otherwise there is nothing alive. Where is the European artistic gymnastics going now without us? The competition is reduced, the results are falling.

Now we have arrived from the competitions from Belarus. For local gymnasts, the opportunity to compete with us is a big plus, they are learning. But for us this tournament is of little use.

I see how the guys can’t really tune in to the competition, because they understand that no matter how they make their combinations, they will still become the best.

No international competition is a disaster. We need to look for some other options, we Belarusians are two or three heads taller. Why do we bring the main team to such competitions? Because competitive practice is very necessary in any case for our leading athletes.”

Earlier it became known that on May 12-13, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) will consider the possibility of admitting Russian gymnasts to international competitions.