In the wake of Andrei Rodionenko's announcement of the training squads for this year's World Championships, RIA Novosti reports that veteran Maxim Devyatovski has made claim to a place on the team. While he admits that his current form is poor, he says he 'plans to reach a peak' in time for Tokyo, showing his best form at a selection due to take place in Penza on 17th September (4 weeks' time). The Federation has responded that Devyatovski did not have sufficient physical preparation, and did not want to come to Tokyo anyway, because of concerns over nuclear fall out.
The teams announced by Rodionenko are:
Women : Komova, Afanasyeva, Dementieva, Belokobylskaya, Paseka, Nabieva. Reserves: Polyan, Inishina
Men : Garibov, Khorokhodin, Ignatiev, Belyavsky, Ablyazin, Cherkasov, Golutsotskov, Pluzhnikov
Rodionenko also gave special mention to Anastasia Sidorova and Anastasia Grishina, both of whom are training at the highest level but who will miss Worlds as they only qualify for senior competition next year.
There has been a changing of the guard in Russian gymnastics over the past two years, perhaps more pronounced now in the women's team than in the men's.
I very much hope that all the gymnasts Rodionenko named in his announcement remain fit and healthy and able to give their best in Tokyo. Qualification for the Olympic Games has to be the first objective there, and it would be great to see both teams do beyond best and begin to realise the ambitions of a new generation as they head for London 2012.
A link to the RIA Novosti story about Rodionenko's announcement can be found here.
The teams announced by Rodionenko are:
Women : Komova, Afanasyeva, Dementieva, Belokobylskaya, Paseka, Nabieva. Reserves: Polyan, Inishina
Men : Garibov, Khorokhodin, Ignatiev, Belyavsky, Ablyazin, Cherkasov, Golutsotskov, Pluzhnikov
Rodionenko also gave special mention to Anastasia Sidorova and Anastasia Grishina, both of whom are training at the highest level but who will miss Worlds as they only qualify for senior competition next year.
There has been a changing of the guard in Russian gymnastics over the past two years, perhaps more pronounced now in the women's team than in the men's.
I very much hope that all the gymnasts Rodionenko named in his announcement remain fit and healthy and able to give their best in Tokyo. Qualification for the Olympic Games has to be the first objective there, and it would be great to see both teams do beyond best and begin to realise the ambitions of a new generation as they head for London 2012.
A link to the RIA Novosti story about Rodionenko's announcement can be found here.
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