Russian gymnast Yana Zaikina took gold in the ribbon event at the 2026 European Junior Championships in rhythmic gymnastics, held in Varna, Bulgaria.
Sofia Krainska of Ukraine finished second; Melissa Dite of Germany was third.
During the medal ceremony, as the Russian anthem played, Krainska covered her ears with headphones and her eyes with her hands. The Russian Gymnastics Federation posted a video of the moment.
Ukrainian gymnast Varvara Chubarova made a similar gesture during the medal ceremony for the ball event, which was won by Kira Babkevich of Belarus — whose national anthem played during the ceremony.
The first European Championships medal for a Russian competitor went to Ksenia Savinova, who took silver in the hoop event.
Both Zaikina and Savinova train at the Nebesnaya Gratsia Academy of Rhythmic Gymnastics, founded by Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva.
Russian and Belarusian gymnasts are competing under their national flags and anthems at international competitions for the first time since 2022. The International Gymnastics Federation lifted the restrictions at a meeting on May 16–17.
Russian gymnasts were banned from the International Gymnastics Federation’s competitions in 2022. They were allowed to return in 2024, but only under neutral status.
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