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Dementieva Russian Champion!

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Anna Dementieva has been crowned national all around champion of Russia!  Full results are available here.

Anna won by dint of being the most consistent gymnast around, performing strongly on bars, beam and floor, and pretty much predictably on vault, her weakest apparatus.  Anna took the highest score on the floor exercise (15.1) the third highest on bars (14.65) and the second highest on beam (14.35).  The highest bars score - 16.7 - was registered by Viktoria Komova, who had an otherwise difficult competition, finishing in 35th place after disappointing outings on beam and floor, and a final withdrawal from vault.  I hope she isn't injured.  Tanya Nabieva came second on bars with 15.05, and is second on vault with 14.85, behind none other than Anna Pavlova (14.9).  Leading the stakes on beam is Yulia Belokobylskaya (14.55).

The top six placings are as follows:

Anna Dementieva 58.05
Anna Pavlova       56.2
Alena Polyan        55.15
Yulia Inishina        55.1
Yulia Belokobylskaya   54.7
Maria Stepanova  54.25

Anna's all around score of 58.05 is difficult to interpret given the Russians' liking for operating under their own enhanced Code of Points; and the absence of so many of Russia's main contenders, including World Champion Aliya Mustafina, doesn't makes things any clearer.  But I do think that this result shows that the team now has three strong all arounders, allowing for the possibility of surprise results at upcoming international competitions.

Enhanced strength in depth can only be to the good!  Here's hoping all the girls see it that way, too, and that they are all in good health.

Update 25th February : Nora at the All Around Forum explains that vault was Komova's FIRST, not last piece - she scratched after two failed attempts. 

Viktoria is healthy and well, it seems just to have been one of 'those' competitions for her, although there are suggestions elsewhere that her heavily strapped right ankle may be giving her trouble.
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Comments

  1. Double Front23 February 2011 at 18:49

    Thanks for this post!

    Of the 2010 World Champion Russian team, Dementieva is my favorite.

    Mustafina and Nabieva get most of the attention but I think Dementieva has that special something that is difficult to describe. She is more fluid and elegant in her dance,is spunky yet graceful and is always smiling (a rarity among gymnasts!).

    I'm glad she performed well in this competition. I hope to see more of her this year.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bronwyn25 February 2011 at 07:08

    Komova is still nursing her ankle, that's why she scratched vault.

    I hope she's ok come Europeans!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Queen Elizabeth25 February 2011 at 09:09

    Thanks for the comments both of you.

    I agree with you, Double Front ... I love Dementieva's style ... love Mustafina and Nabieva, too, but Anna has the real balletic charisma of the Soviets!

    Bronwyn, thanks for this, I have updated the post as per above - did you have any specific info re the injury?

    ReplyDelete

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