As I watched Aliya Mustafina prepare for her vault at that fateful competition, resplendent in her royal blue leotard and waspily striped leg warmers, I was reminded of the girl's fearsome heritage, both ethnic and sporting. Her darkly curlicue features, the fine set of the cheekbone, the intense imperiosity of Mustafina's gaze are redolent of a proud Tatar princess. Put the cornrows back in her hair, add a tiara and a few jewels to that corsage and you are more than halfway there. Huddled close to coach Alexandrov, her demeanour was that of a prize fighter ready for combat. Mustafina is her father's daughter (Fargat Mustafin was an Olympic medallist in Greco Roman wrestling).
It would be easy to forget that Mustafina, not yet 17 years old, only graduated to the senior national team in January 2010. And that she is the first Russian woman in many years to make the transition from junior to senior without succumbing to the pressures and ending up as an also-ran. Her success seemed to represent a significant turnround in the fortunes of a Russian gymnastics team which had rarely been able to demonstrate competitive consistency to match its often unrivalled flair.
The pace at which she had developed her difficulty since last spring appeared almost inconceivably precipitous, and the manner of the Queen's accession to the throne had been equally, if not more, astounding: the conscious ability to produce her best when under pressure is what marks Mustafina out as special. I can think of only one gymnast - Shushunova - who has demonstrated similar qualities. If Mustafina does not succeed in regaining her competitive form and returning to the highest level, it will be a tragedy for gymnastics as she brings a note of combat to a sport which otherwise can tend to be just a little too twee and polite. We all know that gymnastics is a hard sport, but Mustafina's feisty spirit challenged others to dare to beat her.
Her current absence from the international stage diminishes gymnastics' interest for many fans, but Mustafina's absence from the Russian team could become emblematic of more than this unless the 'others' can find the Mustafina spirit in themselves at this year's World Championships and beyond. I am sure it is inevitable that their gold medal count will suffer somewhat in her absence, but now that Komova's participation in worlds seems moot, the remaining Russians will have to be at their best to guarantee qualification to the Olympics, and at best ensure that they enhance the team's reputation for strength in depth.
So who will step up and fill the huge gap left by this super-motivated athlete? A huge question mark hangs over the head of Tatiana Nabieva, who as recently as 2008 beat Mustafina to the title of Junior All Around European Champion. Yet recently Nabieva seems to have dropped her all around ambitions, preferring to be a specialist. Is she truly happy with this role? Anna Dementieva appears ready to take over the reins of leadership of the Russian team, and is certainly their top all around prospect at present. But could Nabieva also revert to the role of all arounder, and pull herself back to equal the competitive level of Mustafina? Or will the beautiful, but unpredictable, Afanasyeva be more reliable and motivated? In the wake of Mustafina's clear superiority, has Nabieva chosen to step down to a minor role rather than face up to the uncomfortable reality of fighting her best friend for medals? Has Tanya given up, just a little?
In an interview at the end of last year she explained that her task was to improve her stability and strength. She certainly seems to have achieved that in early competitions this year, but what next for Nabieva? As a junior she regularly fought and won all around competitions against her best friend. Is she still as happy as she appears with the secondary role to which she has assigned herself? Is her psychological contribution to the team's wellbeing as important as her gymnastics these days? Tanya, I feel, is the great unknown of the Russian team. Is she underachieving? Is she capable and willing to do more? The longer her fringe grows, the more I wonder ...
It would be easy to forget that Mustafina, not yet 17 years old, only graduated to the senior national team in January 2010. And that she is the first Russian woman in many years to make the transition from junior to senior without succumbing to the pressures and ending up as an also-ran. Her success seemed to represent a significant turnround in the fortunes of a Russian gymnastics team which had rarely been able to demonstrate competitive consistency to match its often unrivalled flair.
The pace at which she had developed her difficulty since last spring appeared almost inconceivably precipitous, and the manner of the Queen's accession to the throne had been equally, if not more, astounding: the conscious ability to produce her best when under pressure is what marks Mustafina out as special. I can think of only one gymnast - Shushunova - who has demonstrated similar qualities. If Mustafina does not succeed in regaining her competitive form and returning to the highest level, it will be a tragedy for gymnastics as she brings a note of combat to a sport which otherwise can tend to be just a little too twee and polite. We all know that gymnastics is a hard sport, but Mustafina's feisty spirit challenged others to dare to beat her.
Her current absence from the international stage diminishes gymnastics' interest for many fans, but Mustafina's absence from the Russian team could become emblematic of more than this unless the 'others' can find the Mustafina spirit in themselves at this year's World Championships and beyond. I am sure it is inevitable that their gold medal count will suffer somewhat in her absence, but now that Komova's participation in worlds seems moot, the remaining Russians will have to be at their best to guarantee qualification to the Olympics, and at best ensure that they enhance the team's reputation for strength in depth.
So who will step up and fill the huge gap left by this super-motivated athlete? A huge question mark hangs over the head of Tatiana Nabieva, who as recently as 2008 beat Mustafina to the title of Junior All Around European Champion. Yet recently Nabieva seems to have dropped her all around ambitions, preferring to be a specialist. Is she truly happy with this role? Anna Dementieva appears ready to take over the reins of leadership of the Russian team, and is certainly their top all around prospect at present. But could Nabieva also revert to the role of all arounder, and pull herself back to equal the competitive level of Mustafina? Or will the beautiful, but unpredictable, Afanasyeva be more reliable and motivated? In the wake of Mustafina's clear superiority, has Nabieva chosen to step down to a minor role rather than face up to the uncomfortable reality of fighting her best friend for medals? Has Tanya given up, just a little?
In an interview at the end of last year she explained that her task was to improve her stability and strength. She certainly seems to have achieved that in early competitions this year, but what next for Nabieva? As a junior she regularly fought and won all around competitions against her best friend. Is she still as happy as she appears with the secondary role to which she has assigned herself? Is her psychological contribution to the team's wellbeing as important as her gymnastics these days? Tanya, I feel, is the great unknown of the Russian team. Is she underachieving? Is she capable and willing to do more? The longer her fringe grows, the more I wonder ...
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