Russians as a population are very keen in sports and also have excelled in a variety of sporting activities. The country
has become a regular feature in the Olympics games procuring high 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 keep its position that 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 as well as a host of other sports.
Basketball developed in the country in the Soviet era. The Russian team went on to win several Olympic medals for 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 including the Euroleague and the ULEB Cup. They also have a player in the Utah Jazz which is a NBA team.
Ice hockey is another very successful sport with the Russians. They have about 30 players who are presently part of the NHL. The players today are still keeping up the tradition built during the Soviet era.
The Russians have carried forth their winning streak by being in news reports for their success in the field of ice skating. Previously being part of the winner team of the Winter Olympics, they have excelled in ice dancing and pair skating.
Football was one of the most successful sports during the Soviet era. With the division of USSR came the division in the national football teams and clubs. The most important amongst those was the crumbling of the Russian Premier League because it lost a lot of its players. However, the game recovered its lost glory and presently has six Premier League teams apart 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 great number of probably the most successful women tennis players hail from this country along with some formidable men tennis players too. These strong Russians have been around in the news because of their success in the Olympics, Wimbledon, Fed Cup, Davis Cup and several such premier matches.
Chess is another sport which Russians have dominated for a long time having produced several world champions and Grand Masters. Another of Russias popular sports would be the Rugby League. The Russians rank 13th amongst all of the teams according to the Rugby League International Federation sports news. Rugby Union is another sport that is fast gathering popularity amongst the Russian masses, with the country ranking 17th based on the International Rugby Board.
One of the sports that Russia has won several accolades for is Rhythmic Gymnastics. Along with being one of 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.