Kylie Dickson will represent Belarus at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

This was a controversial decision. Nellie Kim – President of the FIG Women’s Technical Committee and vice president of the Belarusian Gymnastics Federation – played a key role in the decision to send two American trained Belorussians (who’d not actually ever been to Belarus) to 2015 Worlds.

Will Kylie Dickson inspire gymnasts who actually live in Belarus?

I doubt it.

But here’s some good news:

… The Belarus Gymnastics Association has set a task to revive the former glory and traditions of this sport. Particularly intensive work in this area began a year and a half ago, when Helen Skripel, a famous businesswoman in Belarus, became the Association’s Chair. These ambitious plans have become one of the priorities of her work and the Association’s activities.

To implement the “Revival Plan” the comprehensive program has been developed based on the study of problems, consultations with highly qualified specialists, including foreign ones, and bold marketing ideas. The program has received strong support from the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of Belarus and the National Olympic Committee.

The basic items of the project are sports facilities, coaching staff and promising athletes. Several gyms have already been renovated and equipped with the latest equipment. World-renowned expert Oleg Ostapenko has started working as the head coach of the women’s national team. …

UEG