Russians as a population are very keen in sports and also have excelled in a variety of sporting activities. The country has been a regular feature at the Olympics games procuring higher rankings in a wide number of games. Though as USSR the nation was at its peak within the Olympics, even with the division Russia continues to be able to maintain its position the Soviets had created.
The Russians have been in the sports news for their participation in many games such as football, basketball, tennis, ice hockey, weightlifting, boxing, gymnastics, skiing, figure skating and volleyball along with a host of other sports.
Basketball developed in the country in the Soviet era. The Russian team proceeded to win several Olympic medals because of their performance in this particular game. Also, they are the current winners in the Eurobasket World Championships having defeated Spain in the final game. They’ve already been champions of a number of other European championships such as the Euroleague and also the ULEB Cup. They likewise have a player in the Utah Jazz which is a NBA team.
Ice hockey is yet another very successful sport with the Russians. They’ve got about 30 players that are presently a part of the NHL. The players today are still maintaining the tradition built during the Soviet era.
The Russians have carried forth their winning streak by being in the news because of their success in the field of ice skating. Previously being part of the winner team in the Winter Olympics, they have excelled in ice dancing and pair skating.
Football was probably the most successful sports through the Soviet era. With the division of USSR came the division of the national football teams and clubs. The most important amongst those was the crumbling of the Russian Premier League as it lost many of its players. However, the sport recovered its lost glory and presently has six Premier League teams aside from it now strong national team.
Ever since the end of the Soviet regime, Russia has grown as a powerhouse in the sport of tennis. A large number of probably the most successful women tennis players hail from this country together with some formidable men tennis players as well. These strong Russians have been in the news because of their success inside the Olympics, Wimbledon, Fed Cup, Davis Cup and several such premier matches.
Chess is yet another sport which Russians have dominated for a long time having produced several world champions and Grand Masters. Another of Russias popular sports is the Rugby League. The Russians rank 13th amongst all of the teams based on the Rugby League International Federation sports news. Rugby Union is another sport that is fast gathering popularity among the Russian masses, with the country ranking 17th according to the International Rugby Board.
One of the sports that Russia has won several accolades for is Rhythmic Gymnastics. Along with being probably the most popular sports forms in the country, it’s highlighted Russia in the world of sports news for having the worlds best rhythmic gymnasts.
