Rhythmic Gymnastics News – April
- Selah - The Rhythmic Report
- a few seconds ago
- 3 min read
New Award Ceremony Rules.
After the incident in Sofia, Bulgaria, when Russian gymnast Sofiia Ilteriakova stood with her back to the Ukrainian flag after Taisiia Onofriichuk won the gold medal in the hoop final, a new set of ceremony rules was released.
Following this occurrence, which happened at the World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria, held towards the end of March, there was much controversy and debate about whether Sofia Ilteriakova's status as a neutral athlete should be removed. Many saw her actions as politically guided.
The Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation put out a statement claiming that Sofiia Ilteriakova intentionally turned away from the Ukrainian flag, therefore disrespecting Ukraine and acting in a way that constituted political hostility. They also stated that the act was a direct violation of the official ceremonial protocol.
On the other hand, the Russian Federation argued that this was just a mistake. Saying that Sofiia Ilteriakova, having made her senior debut in 2026, and the World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria, being one of her first major international competitions, was simply nervous and inexperienced when it came to the correct protocol.
Subsequently, the International Gymnastics Federation issued a warning to Sofiia Ilteriakova, stating that any other violation would result in Ilteriakova losing her AIN status, finishing by saying that sport must remain separate from politics for all athletes, regardless of their nationality.
However, it is important to note that this came after what could be called “politically hostile actions” by Ukrainian gymnast Taisiia Onofriichuk herself. At several international competitions, she left the podium or refused to take group pictures with Russian or Belarusian athletes, which technically goes against ceremonial protocol. In fact, later in the same competition, Taisiia Onofriichuk stepped off the podium, refusing to take a group photo with Belarusian athlete Alina Harnasko and Israeli athlete Meital Sumkin. Just a year earlier, in Baku 2025, Taisiia Onofriichuk refused to take a group photo with Cypriot gymnast Vera Tugolukova, who previously competed for Russia and Alina Harnasko. Evidently, the this has been going on for some time. However, no complaint was made after these incidents, even though it went against the award ceremony etiquette.
However, there is, of course, a nuance in Chapter 3, the penultimate paragraph:
“There may be changes, exceptions, and special circumstances that do not allow strict adherence to the aforementioned regulations. The Secretary General, in agreement with the FIG President, is authorised to make the necessary decisions in such cases.”
Ultimately, there have been violations on both sides, and it's about time the award ceremony protocol is updated appropriately for the current geopolitical situation.
The new protocol is as follows:
1: Gymnasts must face the flags during the national ceremony
2: Gymnasts must not shake hands during the award ceremony
3: Presenters are not to shake hands with the gymnasts
4: A group photo after the podium is mandatory
5: The gymnasts winning the bronze and silver medals will approach the gold medalist, but must not step onto the podium
This protocol was followed in the World Cup in Baku, and it is hoped that this will lead to clearer award ceremonies with fewer controversies and more equality and clarity in the future.
Viktoriia Onopriienko
Viktoriia Onopriienko has announced that she will be opening a rhythmic gymnastics school in Kyiv, Ukraine. She stated that her main goal is to further develop rhythmic gymnastics in Ukraine and share her own experience and knowledge, as an Olympic finalist. More details are to be provided at a later date, as she would like to maintain a sense of intrigue for now.
Read the full article here
Baku, Azerbaijan: European Cup
From 30th April until May 3rd, the 4th European Cup in history will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The 16 highest-ranked individuals and the 6th best groups will go on to compete in a cross-battle format. There will be no apparatus finals, but rather the winner will be based on qualifications. With only one gymnast from each country being on the podium. Senior individual qualification and apparatus ranking for hoop and ball will be held on May 1st, clubs and ribbon being on May 2nd. And on May 3rd, the Senior Cross Battle will take place.
Streaming: gymtv.online
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