Russian gymnast Alexsandra Soldatova has announced she is taking a break from the sport after courageously revealing a two-year struggle with bulimia.
The 21-year-old, who is also a social media influencer, travelled to the 2016 Olympics in Rio as an alternate in the Russian squad for rhythmic gymnastics and was a hopeful for this year’s Games in Tokyo.
However, her preparations for that event have been put on hold after the youngster opened up about her fight with the emotional disorder for the first time.
Despite struggling with bulimia, Soldatova was still able to win individual gold in the ribbon event at the 2018 World Championships in Sofia.
(Image: Stanislav KrasilnikovTASS via Getty Images)
But the 21-year-old has now chosen to disclose how the condition has affected her over the past couple of years, hoping it will help others suffering with bulimia.
“This story has gone on for two years, I’ve had this affliction. It’s very hard for me to speak about it. In addition to sporting issues – fractures, injuries – I’ve had another illness which has constantly affected me,” Soldatova said in an interview with Russian news agency TASS.
“I want to tell anyone who is also suffering from bulimia that the hardest part is admitting it… but when I told my trainers, they were a mountain [of support] for me.
“I missed the European Championships in 2018 because of a fracture, and my body became so fragile it was frightening. At this turning point I battled with bulimia, recovered in a month, and in September won gold at the World Championships.
(Image: Stanislav KrasilnikovTASS via Getty Images)
Soldatova also confirmed in the interview that she was taking a break from her gymnastics career, admitting that “professional sports and bulimia are not compatible, especially when you need full strength at the Olympic Games”.
News of the 21-year-old’s decision to step away from gymnastics comes just days after Soldatova publicly denied claims she deliberately slashed her forearms with a knife.
The Russian instead claims the injuries were caused by an accident in the kitchen while making breakfast.
