Tokyo Olympics rhythmic gymnastics results: Russia outraged over judging Dina Averina silver medal
The Russian Olympic Committee is protesting after тАЬbiasedтАЭ judging cost one of its star gold and left her in tears.
Russians expressed outrage Saturday over what they said was тАЬbiasedтАЭ judging in the Olympic rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around final after IsraelтАЩs Linoy Ashram claimed a victory over three-time world champion Dina Averina, ending two decades of Russian dominance.
The head of RussiaтАЩs Olympic Committee said the country would lodge a complaint with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
тАЬWe have decided that we will not close our eyes to this situation. We are already preparing an official appeal to the international federation,тАЭ Stanislav Pozdnyakov said in a statement on Instagram.
тАЬWe would like to receive an explanation over a whole number of issues,тАЭ he added, taking issue with тАЬjudging.тАЭ
Earlier Saturday IsraelтАЩs Ashram claimed victory despite a mistake in her closing ribbon routine.
It is the first time a Russian has failed to win the event since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and is arguably one of the biggest surprises in the sportтАЩs history.
Averina said she did not think тАЬit was fair todayтАЭ and other prominent Russians accused the judges of bias.
тАЬDina didnтАЩt lose, she won. But unfortunately the judging was egregiously unjust,тАЭ Irina Viner, president of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, said in comments to RT, a Kremlin-backed TV channel.
тАЬIt was simply a disgrace to rhythmic gymnastics,тАЭ Viner said, claiming the judges supported Ashram.
тАЬEnough, they got tired of Russia. And the judges decided to support this Israeli woman.тАЭ
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova fumed, accusing the judges of committing тАЬforgery in front of the whole world.тАЭ
тАЬThose who started the Russophobic war against the sport could not allow this victory,тАЭ Zakharova said on messaging app Telegram.
Prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova also chimed in, calling SaturdayтАЩs judging a form of тАЬbanditry.тАЭ
тАЬI canтАЩt stress enough how unbelievably biased and unfair it was!тАЭ she said in a post on Instagram in English.
On Friday, President Vladimir Putin hailed the performance of RussiaтАЩs Olympic athletes, who are competing in Tokyo under a neutral banner due to their countryтАЩs doping suspension.
Russia are banned from Tokyo 2020 after being found guilty of state-sponsored doping, meaning their athletes cannot use the Russian flag and anthem.
But more than 300 Russian competitors have been allowed to compete under the ROC moniker, and they have won 20 golds to lie fourth in the medals table.
Russian athletes are banned from taking part in major international events with their anthem and under their flag until 2022 following a decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last year.
тАУ AFP
