Russians as a population are very keen in sports and also have excelled in a variety of sporting activities. The nation has been a regular feature at the Olympics games procuring high rankings in a wide variety of games. Though as USSR the nation was at its peak within 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 including football, basketball, tennis, ice hockey, weightlifting, boxing, gymnastics, skiing, figure skating and volleyball along with a host of other sports.
Basketball developed in the nation during the Soviet era. The Russian team proceeded to win several Olympic medals for their performance in this particular game. Also, they are the present winners of the Eurobasket World Championships having defeated Spain in the final game. They have also been champions of a variety of other European championships including the Euroleague and also the ULEB Cup. They also have a player within the Utah Jazz which is a NBA team.
Ice hockey is another very successful sport of the Russians. They have about 30 players that are presently part of the NHL. Players today continue to be keeping up the tradition built in the Soviet era.
The Russians have carried forth their winning streak by being in the news for 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 one of the most successful sports through 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 many of its players. However, the sport recovered its lost glory and presently has six Premier League teams apart from it now strong national team.
Since the end of the Soviet regime, Russia is continuing to grow to be a powerhouse in the sport of tennis. A large number of the most successful women tennis players hail from this country along with some formidable men tennis players as well. These strong Russians have been around in the news for 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 would be the Rugby League. The Russians rank 13th amongst all the teams according to the Rugby League International Federation sports news. Rugby Union is another sport that’s fast gaining popularity amongst 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. 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.