Averina's gymnasts refused to return to the sport for the sake of the 2028 Olympics

Nizhny Novgorod gymnasts Dina and Arina Averina announced on February 2 that they do not intend to return to big-time sports, even if they have the opportunity to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games under the Russian flag.

"The Olympic Games we could have participated in were in 2024, because in 2023 we announced our retirement. And by 2028, that much time will have passed. Therefore, definitely not," Averin explained in an interview with the NewsNN portal.

They noted that they continue to keep fit through exercise, stretching and the gym, but they train irregularly — from three times a week to a full break.

The sisters' main activity was master classes: They have already conducted them in a number of Russian cities and plan to expand their activities in Europe, including Italy and Hungary.

Who trains Adelia Petrosyan: the role of Tutberidze, Dudakov and Gleikhengauz

The coaching staff around the athlete is based on the principle of separation of competencies

On January 24, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Russian athletes would not participate in the opening ceremony of the 2026 Olympic Games in Italy on February 6, as they have a neutral status. Honored USSR figure Skating coach Tatiana Tarasova called the non-admission of Russian athletes discrimination at the same time, saying that the decision should be appealed.

The games will be held from 6 to 22 February in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.