site.btaEuropean Gymnastics Congress Votes against Return to Tournaments of Athletes from Russia, Belarus

The 30th European Gymnastics Congress voted against the return of athletes from Russia and Belarus to international tournaments from January 1 of 2024, the organisation said Friday. The meeting is held at the Marinela Hotel in Sofia on December 1 and 2.

"The European Gymnastics Congress voted against allowing athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus to return to gymnastics competitions in Europe from 1 January 2024, thus not respecting the decision of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG)," it said in a statement.

Russian and Belarusian gymnasts have been suspended from participating in international tournaments since March 2022 because of the situation in Ukraine. In July 2023, the FIG executive committee allowed athletes from both countries to compete in neutral status from January 1, 2024. On November 10, the FIG published criteria for allowing Russian athletes to compete under its auspices.

According to the FIG criteria, only individual athletes will be eligible to participate in international competitions.