| In Athens there will be no Russian representatives in only five sports The principle proclaimed by the founder of the modern Olympic movement, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, “The main thing is not victory, but participation,” is now only suitable for underdeveloped countries. Leading sports powers delegate their athletes to the Games with one goal - to win as many medals as possible and take a high place in the team competition for awards. Since the number of participants in the Olympics is limited, each sport has its own selection system for the Games. The current Olympics actually began three years ago, when the first tickets to Athens were raffled off. The fight for licenses turned out to be far from a formality: the number of future Olympians did not include such famous athletes as the world record holder in the 100-meter race American Tim Montgomery, the winner of the Wimbledon tennis tournament Maria Sharapova, the famous Australian swimmer Michael Klim and a number of other famous athletes.
The Russians did well in most of the qualifying competitions, but there were some disappointments. There will be no representatives in rowing slalom, football, softball, baseball and field hockey. How this happened and where the existing licenses were obtained was studied by Vremya Novostei correspondents.
Badminton
The maximum representation per country in each of the five categories (women's singles, men's singles, women's doubles, men's doubles and mixed) is three participants/pairs, but provided that they were in the top 16 of the world ranking as of May 1 2004. China has the most licenses - 13 out of 15. The President of the All-Russian Badminton Federation, Vladimir Lifshits, promised in April, before the European Championships, that four to six Russians would go to Athens, but on May 1 it turned out that none of our shuttlecock masters would go to the Olympics. does not qualify for rating. In the end, Nikolai Zuev and Marina Yakusheva were lucky. They were among the reservists on the list of participants in the Games and will go to Athens to compete in mixed doubles only due to the fact that Hong Kong lost its place. As it turned out, ex-Indonesian Albertus Susanto Njoto, who is listed in the world classification as a representative of Hong Kong, has no right to play for this country at the Olympics. At the same time, his partner Li Vinh Mui was also injured.
Basketball
We will only have to root for the country's women's team, led by Vadim Kapranov. She qualified for the Olympics as the winner of the 2003 European Championships. But the men's team, led by Sergei Elevich, frankly failed the continental tournament, taking an indecently low eighth place, although to get into Greece it was enough to take fifth place in the final table of ranks. As a result, Elevich lost his post, his term of office expired after the tournament, and Sergei Babkov was chosen as the new helmsman of the team. 12 men's and women's national teams will compete for medals at the Summer Games. At the preliminary stage they are divided into two groups of six teams, the playoffs will begin with the quarter-finals.
Baseball
The sport is underdeveloped in Russia, so we had no illusions about an Olympic ticket. At the European Championships last year, the Russians finished only eighth, and only six teams received the right to play in the Olympic selection for two spots. Italy and Holland travel to Athens from the Old World. But what happened to US baseball players, trendsetters in this sport, can only be called an embarrassment. The self-confident Americans (2000 Olympic champions) sent a team with an unclear composition to the qualifying tournament, lost to Mexico in the quarterfinals and lost all chances of a trip to Greece.
Boxing
Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) had the right to delegate no more than one boxer to each of the 11 weight categories. Our athletes will enter the ring in all weights. The Russians earned most of their licenses at the European Championships in Croatia, and got the two missing tickets at subsequent qualifying competitions. The most titled member of our team is two-time Olympic champion Oleg Saitov, competing in the up to 69 kg category.
Cycle track
There are 12 sets of awards up for grabs - eight for men and four for women. The maximum quota for NOCs is 11 cyclists and no more than three girls. Licenses were distributed based on the results of the championship and the World Cup. Russians are absent only in three events for the stronger sex - team and individual sprint, as well as the gita (a 1 km time trial race). The greatest medal hopes are associated with women - Olga Slyusareva (individual pursuit and points race) and Svetlana Grankovskaya (500 meter sprint and round).
Bike highway
The Olympic program includes four events. These are group races and time trial races for men (224 and 48 km, respectively) and women (119 and 24 km). Countries that ranked 1st to 15th (1st to 16th for women) on the International Cycling Union (IUC) men's ranking list dated April 30 were given the right to send 5 (3) athletes. This is what Russia took advantage of. All our cyclists can go to the group race; at the time trials the number of places is limited to two. While the expanded composition of the national team has been determined, the final one will become known in early August. The most famous in it are Zulfiya Zabirova, Olga Slyusareva, Olympic champion of Sydney 2000 in the time trial Vyacheslav Ekimov, holders of the white jerseys of the best rider in the youth stage classification of the Tour de France in the last two seasons Denis Menshov and Vladimir Karpets, two more participants the recent “Big Loop” - Sergei Ivanov and Evgeniy Petrov.
Water polo
Both of our teams, winners of the Sydney Olympics, purchased their tickets to Athens at the world qualifying tournaments earlier this year in Rio de Janeiro (men) and Italian Imperia (women). This could have been done earlier if Alexander Kabanov’s team had been among the medalists at the World Championships, and the girls had won the continental championship. There are 12 teams competing for water polo at the Olympics, and only eight for women.
Volleyball
If the Russian men's team, having performed unsuccessfully at Euro 2003, did not make it to the first stage of the Olympic selection (World Cup), and then played brilliantly in the continental qualifications (5 matches - 5 victories), then the girls took a pass to Athens in the very last moment. In principle, it was almost impossible for Nikolai Karpol’s team not to get to the Olympics; to do this, they had to fail at the world selection in Tokyo in matches with such weak opponents as, for example, Thailand, Puerto Rico, Taiwan or Nigeria. But our women's volleyball has not yet reached such nightmares.
Freestyle wrestling
Seven weight categories for men and four (up to 48, 55, 63, 72 kg) for women. Russia is the only team (not counting Greece, which has benefits as the host of the Games) whose athletes will perform in all disciplines. The restrictions are the same as in boxing - no more than one participant in each category per country. Non-registered licenses were earned at the 2003 World Championships and at additional qualifications earlier this year.
Greco-Roman wrestling
Here Russia also has a full combat kit - seven fighters. Since competitions in both types of wrestling are held under the auspices of one international federation, the gradation of weight categories for men is the same - up to 55, 60, 66, 74, 84, 96 and 120 kg.
Handball
The men's team will begin the Athens tournament as the reigning Olympic champion. Four years ago in Sydney we witnessed the triumph of head coach Vladimir Maksimov’s players, and we made it to the next Olympics a year and a half before it began. At the World Championships, the Russians finished fifth with seven Olympic berths. The remaining five licenses were played on continents. For women, the selection was not so gentle, since not 12, but 10 teams will play at the Olympics. Our girls will not be able to participate in the Games for the second time in a row. Even fifth place at the European Championship for some reason turned out to be some kind of transcendental milestone for them, the Russians were classified seventh and said goodbye to the dream of Greece. And how much noise there was when Evgeni Trefilov’s team won the “passing” World Championship 2001! Then the majority of teams preferred a radical restructuring of the composition in the new Olympic cycle to immediate results. And they turned out to be right!
Rowing
In each of the 14 types of the program, a country enters no more than one crew. At the World Championships, we won the right to participate in the women's singles and doubles sculls, men's fours sculls, coxless fours in regular weight and lightweight. The female coxed four crew received another license at the June qualifying regatta in Lucerne. Thus, the Russians will compete in six disciplines. Only German rowers start in all types of the program; Americans and Australians have two licenses less.
Kayaking and canoeing
We will see our kayakers and canoeists in nine disciplines out of a dozen. The selection took place in two stages - at the World Championships and Olympic qualifying competitions. Russia has received the right to field participants in seven events, but athletes who have received licenses can compete for medals in the second distance in their boat classes. As a result, we are interested in: for men - single kayakers (500 and 1000 m), double kayaks (500 and 1000 m), single canoes (500 and 1000 m), double canoes (500 and 1000 m), women - single kayaks only. We really count on canoeist Maxim Opalev. He decided not to waste his energy, so he will only participate in the 500 m races.
Rowing slalom
In all four types of the program, the Russians were unable to qualify for the Olympics, but in each discipline they are on the waiting list. In case of force majeure, slalomists from other countries have chances to get to Athens at the last moment, but they are unlikely.
Judo
Our team is going to the Games almost in its entirety, with the exception of those who could defend the honor of the country in two weight categories for women. The team consists of seven judokas and four female judokas. We received our first three licenses at last year's World Championships in Japan. Thanks to the rating points earned in category “A” and “super “A” tournaments, as well as the European Championships, our men won the four missing tickets. World champion Alexander Mikhailin, who had long competed with Tamerlan Tmenov in the heavyweight category, moved to a lighter weight category and was unable to get a ticket to Athens. The absence of his name in the team is one of the main surprises of the qualifying fight.
Equestrian sport
Vladimir Tuganov in show jumping and Elena Sidneva in dressage hardly have the opportunity to get close to the winners. Sidneva has lived in Austria for a long time, competes under the Russian flag and has gained the required number of rating points. Tuganov's main occupation is a businessman and he entered many competitions by purchasing a place as a participant for money - this practice exists legally. In fact, it was on his own merit that he qualified for Athens, where in addition to three individual disciplines, medals are also awarded in a similar number of team events.
Athletics
Of the 46 disciplines, Russia does not have licenses in only three men's events - the 4x100 m relay, 200 and 10,000 meters. Two individual trips can be earned by fulfilling the qualifying standard at the national championship in Tula, which ends on August 1. A few days after its completion, the coaching council will name the composition of the Olympic team. It is possible that, based on the results of the Tula competitions, the leadership of the All-Russian Athletics Federation will not use absolutely all the Olympic quotas - they are not going to send outright tourists who have no chance of a high place to Athens. The prima of our team, Tatyana Lebedeva, is ready to fight for medals in two different events - long jump and triple jump.
Mountain bike
With a maximum of six participants per country for two events - men's and women's cross-country - our Irina Kalentyeva will have to fight alone. There are no more Russians, but Irina is heading to the third Olympics in her career.
Table tennis
Our small racket masters qualified in all events - singles and doubles for men and women. For Irina Palina, this is the fourth Olympics, and Svetlana Ganina and Alexey Smirnov are participating in the rank of debutants. According to the results of the world singles rankings in May 2003, representatives of the top 20 put the Olympic ticket in their pocket, the rest decided on their admission to Greece at continental and world qualifying tournaments.
Sailing
Eleven classes of yachts compete - four for men, four for women and three in which mixed crews have the right to compete. The quota is one ship per country in each class. Previously, there was no Olympic selection; it was enough to win the internal championship and apply for participation in the Games. World championships for different classes of yachts are held separately, and the participants in the Olympics are now being determined there. We have eight licenses, and the leaders include the female crew of the 470 class.
Swimming
The second sport after track and field in the number of sets of awards is 32. The All-Russian Swimming Federation has established internal Olympic standards that exceed international ones in order to exclude the possibility of extras traveling to Athens, who are limited only to preliminary starts. There are 28 people in our composition, and there are exactly three times more men than girls - 21 versus seven. Multiple Olympic champion and team leader freestyle swimmer Alexander Popov will start at distances of 50 and 100 m, in the 4x100 m freestyle relay and 4x100 m medley relay.
Beach volleyball
The Special Olympics Ranking calculated the results shown at the World Series tournaments and the World Championships in the period from January 1, 2003 to July 11, 2004. Our pair Roman Arkaev - Dmitry Barsuk in the final classification ended up just below the list of Olympic participants. The Russians didn't have enough to oust the Canadian tandem from among the lucky ones. Among women, Russians did not claim anything. 24 pairs will compete for medals.
Diving
Our divers passed the Olympic selection without any problems (based on the results of the 2003 World Championships and the 2004 World Cup) and received the right to field 12 participants in all eight disciplines in Athens. However, it was decided to delegate only nine athletes to Greece. This is explained by the fact that the same athletes can perform in individual and synchronized jumps. This is exactly what eight teams will have to do, and only Yulia Kaltukova will limit herself to platform diving in individual competitions. There are three Sydney Olympic champions on the team - Alexey Sautin, Yulia Pakhalina and Vera Ilyina.
Jumping on a trampoline
The Games program includes individual competitions for men and women, 16 participants each. Only two countries could field two trampoline players in both competitions. Russia, as the strongest power in this sport, has an absolute maximum of four Olympic athletes. Alexander Moskalenko and Irina Karavaeva are ready to repeat the “golden” success of four years ago.
Synchronized swimming
Given the current trend in the development of synchronized swimming in the world, the selection system here is considered very unfair and therefore harsh for girls from leading powers. The fashion in duet competitions is dictated by synchronized swimmers from several countries, and it would be logical to give them two or three places each, then the intensity of the competition would be high at the Olympics itself, and not in the national qualifications. However, among the 24 couples, half will be uninteresting extras, and due to the minimum limit, for example, Sydney 2000 champions Maria Kiseleva and Olga Brusnikina were left out of the tournament. Having given way to Anastasia Ermakova and Anastasia Davydova, they will perform only in group competitions. The rivalry between these duos could have brightened the Olympics, but it turned out to be only our internal affair.
Modern pentathlon
The Russian national team, led by Olympic champion Sydney Dmitry Svatkovsky, will be present in Athens in its maximum composition - two participants each in men's and women's individual competitions. There are 32 award seekers in each category.
Softball
The Russians were unlucky in the sense that the European qualifying tournament for one Olympic ticket was held in Italy, where the home team prevailed. It is still unknown how the situation could have developed if the main rivals in the battles in the Old World had played somewhere on a neutral site.
Artistic gymnastics
Probably, first place on the podium in the individual all-around is a much more significant indicator than victory in exercises on individual apparatus, but at the Olympics they have the same price - a gold medal in the team event. Russia has a stellar lineup, especially in the women's team - Olympic champions Svetlana Khorkina and Elena Zamolodchikova. There are already 18 people training in Athens, but six will be eliminated based on the results of the last training camp. There are 14 sets of awards at stake - team and individual all-around, men have six apparatuses, girls - four. All events must be held with the participation of Russians.
Bullet and clay pigeon shooting
We are among the world leaders in the number of licenses - 25 (out of 31 possible). The competition program includes 11 exercises in bullet shooting (men - seven, women - four) and six in skeet (trap, double-trap, skeet). For the first time in a long time, our shooters did not miss any of them. The charismatic leader of the entire team is the 1996 Atlanta Olympic champion Artem Khadzhibekov. The leading arrows of the stand team are Alexey Alipov and Svetlana Demina. Interestingly, the first licenses for the games were played three years before the start of the Olympics-at the World Cup in Cairo in the spring of 2001.
Archery
Russian archers nearly missed the last year's world championship in New York, where the vast majority of Olympic licenses were played. There was a delay in the issuance of visas at the American embassy in Moscow, and the team barely managed to begin the competition without any acclimatization. Nevertheless, the pets of the head coach Vladimir Escheev earned five Olympic vouchers of six possible. Since the girls filled all three vacancies, they will perform in Athens in personal and commanding competitions, and two archers-male arches-only in the individual standings. The shortage of one license is a very offensive circumstance, because at the Games in Athens in team male competitions, the Russian team was very close to awards, taking fourth place.
Tennis
Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova became the victim of the Olympic selection regulations. The main criterion for obtaining a ticket to Greece was the position of tennis players in the world ranking for June 14, and the Sharapova triumph took place in early July. The level of Russian female tennis is so high that in the struggle for the Olympic vacancies, failure befell not only the champion of the Big Slam tournament, but also Vera Zvonarev, included in the top 15 rating. Naturally, Russia chose a complete quota - four participants in a single -discharge tournaments and two duets in paired combinations. There are nine of our tennis players, of which seven (including all four men) will perform in two disciplines. Only Nadezhda Petrova will play in a single category, and Elena Likhovtseva will only pair with Kuznetsova.
Triathlon
In men and women, 50 “iron people” were allowed to start. Maximum from the country - three participants for two disciplines. The selection criterion is comprehensive-the results of regional starts, the results of the 2004 World Cup, the position in the world ranking, the Wild Card from the IOC, and the license for the country is issued inexperienced. Our triathlonists go to Hellas in the maximum composition - two girls and Igor Sysheev, who took fifth place at the May World Cup in Portugal.
Thakvondo
Awards are played in four weight categories in men and women. But unlike other martial arts, each country should choose only two weights in which one participant will declare. None of our fighters could be taken away on the world qualification in Paris, but on the continental tournament this was done by Seyffula Magomedov (the easiest category, up to 58 kg) and Rita Ivanova (57 kg).
Weightlifting
In the program of games - eight weight categories in men and seven in women. Quotes for NOK: no more than six athletes and four rods, and in one weight category - a maximum of two people. The selection was held at the 2003 World Championships and continental competitions. Our women will go to the platform in weight categories up to 69 kg, up to 75 kg (two participants, including the favorite of Valentina Popov) and over 75 kg. In men, a sensation with a minus sign - for the first time since 1956, our country does not delegate the games of none of the heavyweights. The names of six people, the head coach of the men's team David Rigert will name at the very end of July.
Fencing
In the sword, rappier and saber, men compete individually in the team tournament. The weaker sex also has three personal disciplines, but there is only one team - in the spapes. The maximum representation from the country - three athletes in each type of weapon in personal tournaments, four athletes can be declared in the commanding. The Russians filled out all the available quotas, except for one license in the female rapier and two in the women's saber.
Football
The tournament is held for football players no older than 1981. Male selection was held as part of the European Youth Championship, where we failed, having suffered three defeats in the qualifying group. Women had no age restrictions, Europe had two places, but the Russians did not enter the couple of the best teams of the Old World at the World Cup 2003.
Field hockey
The only gaming sport where the ticket to the games was not automatically provided - hockey on the grass in Greece is too poorly developed, however, as in Russia. Our men did not even receive the right to participate in world qualifications, and the girls, together with the federation of the federation Sergei Chechenkov, made a tourist trip to New Zealand at the expense of the state and sponsors - four defeats in the group with the difference in balls 1:21.
Rhythmic gymnastics
Unlike synchronous swimming, the leading powers declare two gymnasts here to participate in the all -around. In Russia, this is Alina Kabaeva and Irina Chashchina. Our team of six girls will perform in group exercises. Injustice is more likely in another - in sports gymnastics you can get a medal for performance in individual shells, and “artists” for compositions with specific objects have no chance. Prepared by Ilya TRISVIATSKY |
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