MOSCOW, May 11 (Reuters) - Most European countries are unwilling to send their teams to this year's world artistic championships in Japan because of fear of a nuclear crisis, Russia's gymnastics chief said on Wednesday.
"It's a delicate issue but the bottom line is Russia as well as the majority of European nations are firmly against sending their athletes to Japan," Andrei Rodionenko told Reuters, adding that Moscow was ready to stage the event if Japan pulled out.
Japan is recovering from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that left 28,000 people dead or missing.
Bruno Grandi, president of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), met with Japanese officials last month to discuss the situation regarding the championships, which are scheduled for Tokyo in October.
"With the alarming nuclear crisis burgeoning in Japan and repercussions of the catastrophe as yet unknown, the question remains as to whether the event ought to be relocated," the sport's world governing body said on its website (www.fig-gymnastics.com).
"FIG reaffirms that a final decision on whether the event will be held in Tokyo will be taken by the end of May."
Rodionenko said he also met Grandi last month and proposed staging the competition in Moscow.
"We had a big discussion during last month's European championships in Berlin," Rodionenko said.
"Grandi is in a delicate position: he cannot force Japan to give up their right to host the worlds and so far, Japanese officials were totally against moving it to another place.
"But if Japan insists on staging the event, most athletes just wouldn't go there because of fear of the nuclear crisis.
"Another problem is that the world championships serve as qualifiers for next year's London Olympics and if athletes decide to miss the worlds they are in danger of not qualifying for the Olympics as well," he added.
Rodionenko said four cities -- Moscow, Paris, Stuttgart and a city in California that he did not name, have expressed interest in staging the championships if FIG decides to relocate them.
Moscow hosted the figure skating world championships last month after Japan abandoned its plans to stage the event.
"It's a delicate issue but the bottom line is Russia as well as the majority of European nations are firmly against sending their athletes to Japan," Andrei Rodionenko told Reuters, adding that Moscow was ready to stage the event if Japan pulled out.
Japan is recovering from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that left 28,000 people dead or missing.
Bruno Grandi, president of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), met with Japanese officials last month to discuss the situation regarding the championships, which are scheduled for Tokyo in October.
"With the alarming nuclear crisis burgeoning in Japan and repercussions of the catastrophe as yet unknown, the question remains as to whether the event ought to be relocated," the sport's world governing body said on its website (www.fig-gymnastics.com).
"FIG reaffirms that a final decision on whether the event will be held in Tokyo will be taken by the end of May."
Rodionenko said he also met Grandi last month and proposed staging the competition in Moscow.
"We had a big discussion during last month's European championships in Berlin," Rodionenko said.
"Grandi is in a delicate position: he cannot force Japan to give up their right to host the worlds and so far, Japanese officials were totally against moving it to another place.
"But if Japan insists on staging the event, most athletes just wouldn't go there because of fear of the nuclear crisis.
"Another problem is that the world championships serve as qualifiers for next year's London Olympics and if athletes decide to miss the worlds they are in danger of not qualifying for the Olympics as well," he added.
Rodionenko said four cities -- Moscow, Paris, Stuttgart and a city in California that he did not name, have expressed interest in staging the championships if FIG decides to relocate them.
Moscow hosted the figure skating world championships last month after Japan abandoned its plans to stage the event.
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