Russia has pulled out of the World Cup gymnastics tournament set for Milwaukee next weekend because of Coronavirus fears.
The Russian government is also pulling out of the World Cup event scheduled for Tokyo on April 4-5, meaning Russia will not likely compete in the Summer Olympics, USA Today reported.
The paper added that Gymnovosti.com reported that the head coach of the Russian team, Andrei Rodionenko, said that they worry about the virus spreading on a plane. “Imagine, if someone will sneeze on the plane, we will be left [in quarantine] for two weeks,” he said.
“Russia is doing the right thing, protecting its citizens,” the coach insisted, “and we must protect our gymnasts.”
The Russian team would have a long plane trip ahead of them to attend the games in Milwaukee. Clearly their coach is unsure that he can guarantee their health on the trip.
Senior national team coach, Valentina Rodionenko, also noted the long trip as a reason for pause.
“If even one person will be suspected [of carrying coronavirus], all the passengers will be quarantined, and that’s two weeks minimum,” Rodionenko said. “Imagine what it means for a gymnast to be quarantined for two weeks, while the European Championships are around the corner.”
According to USA Today, the Russian teams still have a few different ways to make it to the Games without attending the last few Word Cups.
The International Gymnastics Federation has made no comment on the Russian’s decision.
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