In the run-up to one of the year's major sporting events — the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, which will take place from August 12 to 16, 2026, in Frankfurt am Main, the Ukrainian national team has faced a serious personnel crisis. Just days before the start of the tournament, the Gymnastics Federation of Ukraine made emergency changes to the final roster of the national team. One of the most promising athletes of the new generation — Anastasia Ikan — was removed from the list of participants.
Emergency replacement on the eve of the start
The decision to exclude the 19-year-old from Kharkiv came as a complete surprise to the sports community. Ikan, who is the absolute champion of Ukraine in 2025, was preparing for her official debut at the senior World Championships. According to the initial plan, the athlete was to compete in three key disciplines: ball, hoop, and clubs. However, in the final version of the roster published on the official World Gymnastics website, her surname is absent.
Instead of Ikan, Polina Karika will compete in these disciplines. The 19-year-old gymnast, who was previously also entered for the tournament, now takes on an expanded role: she will not only cover the positions for ball, hoop, and clubs but will also perform in the ribbon program. Thus, Karika becomes a universal reserve for the team, capable of replacing the leader in any of the four disciplines.
Team structure and the role of the leader
Despite the loss of one of the key figures, the core of the Ukrainian national team remains unchanged. The undisputed leader of the 'blue and yellows' at the World Championships in Frankfurt remains Taisiya Onofriychuk. She will represent the country in all four types of exercises, taking on the main load in the fight for medals. The team's result in the team all-around will depend precisely on her stability and technical mastery.
The composition of the Ukrainian national team is traditionally known for the depth of its bench, however, a replacement right before the start always carries risks. Polina Karika, despite her high level, will have to adapt to new conditions and take responsibility for the disciplines that were previously assigned to Ikan.
A loss for Ukrainian sports
The exclusion of Anastasia Ikan raises many questions among experts and fans. The 19-year-old athlete has impressive achievements to her credit over the last two seasons. She not only dominated national competitions, winning gold at the national championship in 2025 and becoming vice-champion in 2024, but also demonstrated stable results on the international stage.
In the current season, Ikan has already proven her worth, winning 'silver' at the European Championships in the team tally and winning medals at the prestigious 'Miss Valentine' international tournament. Losing such an athlete before the start of the World Championships deprives the team of an important reserve and an alternative in case of injury or illness of the main squad.
Contradictory data
At the moment, the official reasons for the sudden replacement of the athlete have not been announced by either the Gymnastics Federation of Ukraine or the coaching staff. Sources, including Sport RBC.UA and Sportmail.ru, lack comments regarding Ikan's health status or the coaches' tactical decisions.
There is a version that the decision may have been made on medical grounds, however, this is not confirmed in writing. Another point of view suggests that the coaching staff may have reconsidered the distribution of strength in favor of more experienced or, conversely, younger athletes, but in this case, the replacement occurred with an athlete of the same age. The lack of transparency on this issue creates grounds for various speculations in the sports community.
