Russians as a population are very keen in sports and have excelled in a number of sporting 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 nation was at its peak within the Olympics, even with the division Russia continues to be able to keep its position the Soviets had created.
The Russians have been in the sports news for their participation in a number of 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 in the Soviet era. The Russian team went on to win several Olympic medals because of their performance in this particular 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 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 successful sport with 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 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. Previously being part of the winner team in the Winter Olympics, they’ve excelled in ice dancing and pair skating.
Football was probably 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 many 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 great number of the most successful women tennis players hail from this country together with some formidable men tennis players too. These strong Russians have been in the news because of their success inside 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 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 another sport that’s fast gathering 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 worlds best rhythmic gymnasts.