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Media link : interview with Svetlana Khorkina, Sovietski Sport

There is an interview with Svetlana Khorkina here.

The article includes some lovely pictures of Khorkina in her current life as a Russian State Deputy, including one shot with Alina Kabaeva. If I understand the translation correctly, Khorkina's political responsibilities include a specialist interest in the Committee of Youth.

She comments with pride on the achievements of the Russian team this year and identifies closely with Mustafina. She echoes Rodienenko's concerns for the future of Russian gymnastics, however, highlighting the shortage of coaches, and the corresponding poor rate of pay. Today's gymnastics is 'all bent legs', and lacks complexity. She suggests that Code changes after 2012 should be brought about, to encourage greater complexity in exercises, as well as better quality of performance.

On a broader front, she suggests that the Russians need specialist legal sports representation to confront problems of unfairness she perceives, such as Mustafina's revalued vault in Rotterdam and her own unfortunate experience with the vault table setting at the 2000 Olympic Games. Khorkina says that the Russians also need access to better specialist sports healthcare, including nutrition.

Khorkina speaks with great affection and respect of her late coach, Boris Pilkin. She is a proud and happy mother in her private life and appears to manage to juggle the demands of political and home life quite effectively.

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