Russians as a population are very keen in sports and have excelled in a variety of sports activities. The country has been a regular feature at the Olympics games procuring high rankings in a wide number of games. Though as USSR the country was at its peak in the Olympics, even after the division Russia has been able to maintain its position that the Soviets had created.
The Russians have been in the sports news for their participation in a number of 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 nation during 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 of 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 the ULEB Cup. They also have a player in the Utah Jazz which is a NBA team.
Ice hockey is another very successful sport of the Russians. They have about 30 players who are presently a 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. Having been a 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 apart from it now strong national team.
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 along 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 another sport which Russians have dominated for a very long time having produced several world champions and Grand Masters. Another of Russia’s popular sports is 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 is 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 one of the most popular sports forms in the country, it has highlighted Russia in the world of sports news for having the world’s best rhythmic gymnasts.