I'm laid up with a virus at the moment and will update this blog with some 'proper' writing as soon as looking at the computer screen doesn't send shooting pains through my eyes. Oh joy. In the meantime, however, please find below a list of some lovely media coverage about the Russian girls and Mustafina. Sigh.
I have a less lovely question re the code, or rather Rebecca Bross's beam score in the all around. Could any of you clarify you views on this and perhaps enumerate the E score deductions and how the D score would have been affected? How would artistry/posture/line have been taken into account? It just seems to me that 14.1 was rather out of synch with other scores on the apparatus given what seemed to me to be a huge hiatus mid routine that then led to a fall. (Please note: I am a code dissident: I think it tries to formulate the sport out of existence - how can you calculate something that is at least as much art as sport? However, I would be interested to see how this score was justified.)
For those of you with a haughty disdain for such matters, here are a few more bits and bobs of Russian press coverage that are nice to read, and a couple of videos, including this one in German, English and Russian ('what do I have to do to make you smile?' is the final question to Mustafina). With thanks to Nora at the All Around Forum for pointers to some of these.
Interview with Mustafina and Rodienenko: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcEu4qShleQ
Alexandrov: Russian gymnasts - stinkers! http://www.championat.ru/other/news-632596.html
Valentina Rodienenko : We'll appeal! http://www.sovsport.ru/news/text-item/414988
(Seems they are pretty angry about the change in vault valuations)
Aliya - you are now a star! Nice picture of the team with covers of Sovietsky Sport http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/415234
Aliya Mustafina - I can't afford a sip of wine - I'm still a minor http://www.allsportinfo.ru/index.php?id=44717
Iron Aliya http://www.izvestia.ru/sport/article3147641/
Aliya - Superman! Courage, grace and plastic http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/414904
Team arrives at airport http://www.sovsport.ru/video/gallery-item/2123
Another video http://news.sportbox.ru/Vidy_sporta/...rileteli-domoy
Pics http://sportgymrus.ru/contest/3946/4...3/default.aspx
The RGF confirms via Telegram. Angelina Melnikova attended the Congress in Prague and gave a speech. ‘ ✅ The European Gymnastics Congress voted to reinstate Russian athletes' eligibility for competitions under the organization's auspices. This opens access for artistic and rhythmic gymnastics to qualifying tournaments for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In trampoline, athletes can qualify for the Olympics without going through European competitions. 🗳 Delegates from 46 of the 50 countries that are members of European Gymnastics participated in the vote. Twenty-seven countries voted to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete. The Russian delegation was led by Marat Filippov, Vice President of the Russian Olympic Committee and Secretary of the Presidential Council for Physical Culture and Sport. 💬 Oleg Belozerov, President of the Russian Gymnastics Federation, noted the importance of the decision: "We positively evaluate the position taken by European Gy...
Oh - I should also make reference to the Russian Gymnastics Federation website which is where many of the pointers to articles can be found.
ReplyDeleteAre all Russians whiners? Do they have an insecurity complex? Nyekulterne!
ReplyDelete