Gym: Delay scotches gymnast's hopes of representing Australia

AAP General News (Australia)
08-28-2001
Gym: Delay scotches gymnast's hopes of representing Australia

BRISBANE, Aug 28 AAP - Olympic rhythmic gymnast Valeria Vatkina will represent Belarus
at the Goodwill Games after running out of time to compete for Australia.

The Australian Gymnastics Federation (AGF) had hoped the 20-year-old's citizenship
papers would have arrived in time for her to represent her adopted country in the rhythmic
gymnastics competition which starts on Friday.

But after their failure to arrive on time, International Gymnastics Federation (FIG)
technical liaison officer Margaret Lanz said a decision had to be made on which country
Vatkina would represent in Brisbane.

"We had official notification from FIG that Valeria was to compete under her old country's
flag," Lanz said.

"As she was originally selected from the Sydney Olympic Games where she competed for
Belarus, that was who she would compete for in Brisbane."

Vatkina represented Belarus at the Sydney Olympics and came eighth in the rhythmic
gymnastics all-round section.

She made the decision to stay in Australia shortly after the games.

Her father Vladamir is the Australian Institute of Sport's men's gymnastic coach and
has lived in Australia for almost five years.

Lanz said Australian officials were waiting anxiously for Vatkina's citizenship papers to arrive.

Vatkina is a member of the Australian squad for the 2001 World Championships in Spain.

"Her citizenship papers did not come in time for the Goodwill Games, but the papers
are due any day now," Lanz said.

"We're anxious for them to arrive, as the team is leaving on 7 October for the World
Championships."

Vatkina currently lives and trains in Sydney.

AAP ch/sp

KEYWORD: GOOD GYM VATKINA

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