This week, Irina Viner, head of the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team, stepped down and was replaced by Alina Kabaeva. The only person who responded with appropriate shock to this news when I told them was my mother, who did gymnastics in the ’70s and ’80s. Everyone else just said, “Huh.” So, this column goes out to everyone at The Fletcher School and all the international relations majors.
To understand the significance of this power shift in Russia, you need to know who these women are. Viner, head coach of Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics since 2001, had overseen the sport since Russian President Vladimir Putin came to power. Her athletes, including Kabaeva in 2004, helped Russia win five consecutive all-around Olympic golds. She was married to Alisher Usmanov, Russia’s former richest man. After Russian gymnasts Dina Averina and Arina Averina lost at the 2020 Olympics to Israeli gymnast Linoy Ashram, Viner attacked the judges, Ashram and the sport of rhythmic gymnastics as a whole, and then poached the Israeli coach. But Viner is more than just a gymnastics coach — she has also been a confidant to Putin, reportedly supporting his invasion of Ukraine. For an in-depth look at Viner, check out the 2017 documentary “Over the Limit.”
Now, Kabaeva. One of Viner’s former athletes, she won Olympic gold in the individual all-around at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She pioneered the now-compulsory back scale pivot and was known for her signature pose. In addition to her athletic accolades, she’s also rumored to be Putin’s long-time partner and the mother of his children. And, it’s more likely than not that it was Viner who introduced her to Putin. After retiring in 2007, Kabaeva transitioned into politics, joining the State Duma, and later joined the board of directors of the National Media Group, a Russian media conglomerate. Since Russia was banned from international competition, she and Viner have clashed; Kabaeva created her own sports school, Небесная грация, or “Sky Grace,” which has invented completely new rules for rhythmic gymnastics.
Many Americans don’t understand rhythmic gymnastics and dismiss it out of hand. But, not only is rhythmic gymnastics a captivating sport worth following on its own, it’s also crucial for understanding international politics. The point of this column is that sports and politics are interconnected — you need to grasp both to fully understand either.
Why did the U.S. gymnastics scene take off in 1984? Because Mary Lou Retton won the all-around. And why that specific year? Because the USSR and most of the Eastern Bloc counter-boycotted in 1984 because the U.S. had boycotted their 1980 Moscow Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This isn’t to say Retton wasn’t incredible — she was. But it’s hard to overstate how dominant the Eastern Bloc was at the time. Similarly, why did the U.S. women win their first team gold in 1996? The gymnasts were outstanding, but it was also one of the first Olympics after the Soviet Union’s collapse. In 1992, athletes like Lilia Podkopayeva of Ukraine, Svetlana Khorkina of Russia, Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan and Svetlana Boginskaya of Belarus would’ve competed together in a unified team, but in 1996, they were split up. Why did Annia Hatch have to wait until 2003 to compete internationally for the United States? Because former President of Cuba Fidel Castro wouldn’t release her to represent the U.S., despite a petition by former President Jimmy Carter. Even today, Brazil and Italy are rising as gymnastics powers, partly due to the vacuum left by the ban on Russian athletes.
For a comprehensive overview of the recent developments in Russian rhythmic gymnastics, check out BBC Russia's coverage by Anastasia Lotareva (in Russian, but translatable).
