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 high rankings in a wide variety of games. Though as USSR the country was at its peak in the Olympics, even after the division Russia continues to be able to keep its position that the Soviets had created.
The Russians have been in the sports news because of 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 went on to win several Olympic medals for their performance in this game. They are also the current winners in the Eurobasket World Championships having defeated Spain in the final game. They’ve also been champions of a variety of other European championships including the Euroleague and the ULEB Cup. They also have a player within the Utah Jazz which is a NBA team.
Ice hockey is yet another very successful sport of the Russians. They have about 30 players who are presently a part of the NHL. The players today continue to be maintaining the tradition built in the Soviet era.
The Russians have carried forth their winning streak by being in news reports because of their success in the field of ice skating. Having been 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 because it lost a lot of its players. However, the game 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 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 for their success in the Olympics, Wimbledon, Fed Cup, Davis Cup and many 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 the teams based on the Rugby League International Federation sports news. Rugby Union is the one other sport that is fast gaining 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. Together 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.