Russians as a population are very keen in sports and also have excelled in a variety of sports activities. The country
has become a regular feature in the Olympics games procuring higher rankings in a very wide number of games. Though as USSR the nation was at its peak in the Olympics, even after the division Russia has been able to maintain its position 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 as well as a host of other sports.
Basketball developed in the country in the Soviet era. The Russian team proceeded to win several Olympic medals for their performance in this particular game. They are also the current winners in the Eurobasket World Championships having defeated Spain in the final game. They have also been champions of a number of other European championships such as 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 successful sport of 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 the news 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 of the national football teams and clubs. The most significant 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 is continuing to grow as a powerhouse in the sport of tennis. A great 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 around 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 would be 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’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. Along with being probably the most popular sports forms in the nation, it has highlighted Russia in the world of sports news for having the worlds best rhythmic gymnasts.
