The Russian rhythmic gymnastics juggernaut yesterday collapsed at the Tokyo Olympic Games, with dramatic back-to-back losses that sparked furious allegations of injustice in a sport famous for twinkling costumes, techno remixes and hoops looping through the air.
Russia had won every gold medal in rhythmic gymnastics since 2000, but its total defeat this year began on Saturday, when Linoy Ashram of Israel won gold in the individual competition, edging out of a pair of Russian identical twins who were the favorites heading into Tokyo. Dina Averina placed second and her sister, Arina, fell to fourth.
In yesterday’s group competition, Russia tumbled again into second place, losing the gold to Bulgaria. Italy took the bronze medal.
Photo: AP
“It’s so unreal, we cannot believe it. I don’t know what to say,” Bulgarian gymnast Stefani Kiryakova said. “This is the happiest moment ever.”
The rhythmic gymnastics group finals are a two-part competition for groups of five women. Part ballet, part gymnastics, part circus, the event begins with the teams dancing with balls, then moves on to a set of hoops and clubs.
Bulgaria pulled ahead after the first routine, performed to a lively Bulgarian folk song called Water Cosmos Earth. Their orange-red balls looked like fire as they soared through the air.
The Russians performed to traditional opera in pink, blue and gold costumes that made them look like spinning toy dolls.
As the scores appeared on the arena’s screen after the second round, the Russian gymnasts wept, as the Bulgarians jumped in shocked triumph.
“We have very mixed emotions, of course there is joy, but there is also sadness,” Russian gymnast Anastasiia Maksimova said after the competition, tears still in her eyes. “We competed at our maximum and we were fighting for our country, we were fighting for our individual gymnasts, we were fighting for our team, and we were fighting for our coaches. We did what we could.”
The reaction in Russia has been brutal. The country is barred from using its name, flag or anthem at the Olympics because of a doping scandal. Its athletes compete under the banner of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).
Social media discussions have been full of allegations of a conspiracy to hurt Russia’s medal count and some lawmakers have weighed in with their own theories.
Head coach Irina Viner-Usmanova told the RIA Novosti state news agency that “everyone understood perfectly well that this was meant to happen, that Russia’s hegemony had to be stopped.”
The night the Israeli won the individual competition, ROC president Stanislav Pozdnyakov called on the International Gymnastics Federation to do an inquiry into the judging.
“Our staff and lawyers have already drawn up a request and sent it to the leadership of the International Gymnastics Federation,” Pozdnyakov wrote on Instagram.
Dina Averina, the 22-year-old gymnast who won the silver medal, also said shortly after the competition that she believed the judges had not been fair to her from the start of the competition, when Ashram quickly took the lead.
A post-Olympic photograph she chose to post on her Instagram captures her in the moment she learned she had lost, still in a bedazzled red leotard and a tight bun atop her head, standing with her arms crossed and her brow furrowed.
She later gave an emotional interview with sports broadcaster Match TV.
“It hurts and it’s painful that there was unfair judging today,” she said, adding that Ashram dropped her ribbon near the end of the competition, a major mistake in the sport. “I got through all of the disciplines more or less cleanly, properly and came second. I’m hurt by the injustice, I support honest sport.”
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