Upon his arrival in Moscow this month, Morinari Watanabe, the president of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), made a curious decision. As he emerged for meetings, Watanabe was greeted by the gymnast Nikita Nagornyy. The pair embraced in a warm hug before the cameras.
Across his decade on the Russian men’s national team, Nagornyy established himself as one of the great gymnasts of his generation. A former world all-around champion, he led Russia to the men’s team gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. His eponymous triple back pike remains an audacious athletic feat.
