"Most likely, they were scared": why the Israeli national team refused to participate in the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships

"They retreated and live this year in peace."

After the Olympic Games, marked by the sensational defeat of the sisters Dina and Arina Averin and the victory of Lina Ashram in the individual all-around, the fans were waiting with great interest for the confrontation between Israel and Russia at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships to be held in Kitakyushu, Japan in October.

However, to take revenge on domestic athletes, apparently, will not work.

On September 7, on the official FIG website, all quotas from Israel in the tournament were crossed out in red, which most likely indicates the withdrawal of the team.

Also, Austria and Puerto Rico will not take part in the championship of the planet.

The coach of the national team Ella Samofalova confirmed the information about the refusal to go to Japan.

According to her, this decision has nothing to do with the referee scandal at the Olympics.

And the local gymnastics federation explained the withdrawal from the tournament "for professional reasons."

Moreover, the Israeli women had a maximum quota in Kitakyushu.

Three girls were supposed to compete in the individual tournament, and six in the team tournament.

Sports journalist Gergely Maroshi, referring to the country's officials, noted: the team decided not to go to the World Cup even before the Olympic Games in order to give the gymnasts a rest.

The head of the All-Russian Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics Irina Viner-Usmanova could not help but ignore the removal of competitors.

According to her, the Israeli women after the successful Olympics "do not want to strain."

“They retreated and live this year in peace.

I know that the group exercise coach no longer works with the national team.

Probably, they individually came to this decision.

This whole situation is called “retreated, which was required to be proved,” quotes the Sport-Express functionary.

At the same time, the specialist refused to even talk about a possible revenge, stressing that Dina Averina in Tokyo would have won against Ashram if not for the judge.

"Lina is not to blame for anything, but she received so many unimportant messages that she even had to turn off Instagram," the TASS functionary quotes.

At the same time, the head of the VFHG announced that the Averina sisters will definitely perform at the championship of the planet.

“There is a composition for group exercises, individual ones too, but there can be substitutions everywhere.

I can’t read it out in full yet, ”Viner explained.

"If you are a champion, you must come and prove it again."

The decision of the Israeli women not to come to the World Cup caused a rather ambiguous reaction in Russia.

Some suspected their rivals of cowardice, while others, on the contrary, reacted to their desire to relax after the Olympic Games with understanding.

“It would be interesting to see the struggle between the Averins and Ashram, since this is the first competition after the Olympics.

I wonder how they will be judged.

I guess Linoy got scared.

If you are confident in yourself, you are a champion, then you should come and prove your status once again.

I was scared that it would not work out so easily.

After all, the World Cup will be held with the audience, and no one liked the situation at the last Olympics, "Match TV quotes the silver medalist of the OI-1996 Yana Batyrshina.

Supported by former friend of the national team and Olympic champion of Sydney Yulia Barsukova.

According to her, the Israeli women were simply afraid to go to the planetary championship, which could not be as successful for them as the Olympic Games.

“Most likely they were scared.

After the Olympics, after everything that happened, there was a stir.

We don't need a break, everyone is in good shape.

Ashram is a worthy rival, the girl has nothing to do with it, there was just incompetent refereeing and that's it, ”Barsukova emphasized.

In turn, the silver medalist of the OI-2016 Yana Kudryavtseva, on the contrary, supported the Ashram and remembered how she herself rested for about a year after the Olympics.

“It is quite possible that the Israeli women do not have the strength right now.

The Olympic season is very difficult.

All strong teams and worthy opponents will come to the World Cup, so it will be even easier for ours to compete without the Israeli national team.

Our girls took second place at the Olympics, but, of course, no one stopped.

On the contrary, everyone began to work further, ”explained Kudryavtseva.

The Israeli women were also supported by representatives of other sports.

For example, the famous gymnast Svetlana Khorkina urged “not to look for pitfalls” in their refusal to participate and complained about the difficult calendar, because the World Cup and Olympic Games are held in the same year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

And the Olympic champion in speed skating and State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova expressed a different point of view.

In her opinion, Ashram was simply afraid to lose.

“Lina wants to remain the winner.

In this regard, I understand it, probably there are objective reasons.

She fulfilled her mission, everything else is on the conscience of the judges.

The people who are involved in PR for the Ashram did the right thing.

It's not very sporty, but humanly you can understand it, ”said Zhurova.

Finally, the famous commentator Dmitry Guberniev urged domestic gymnasts not to pay attention to the removal of rivals, but to focus primarily on their own performance.

“Our task is to win this tournament both in the individual and in the team championship.

If you remember, in the team in Tokyo, we lost to Bulgaria, not Israel.

Therefore, now our business is to prepare athletes and perform with dignity, and not to search for conspiracy theories.

This is the problem of those who did not come, and everyone else will participate.

It is necessary to return the status of the leading gymnastic country on the planet, which was shaken at the Olympics, ”summed up Guberniev.

The famous figure skating coach Tatyana Tarasova also supported him, emphasizing that Israel has every right to withdraw.

“So much has already been said about this.

It makes no sense to finish off a lying person ... What relation do we have to everything that happens?

This should not worry us at all, ”the specialist emphasized in an interview with Sport24.