Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

Only recently opened, you will find here a rich resource (still work in progress) on the members of the Russian national team. Click on the pictures of the gymnasts to drill down to their individual websites (each customised with their own personal theme and design).  I particularly like the purple of Aliya Mustafina's site, and the brief profiles which reveal Tatiana Nabieva's liking for Robert Pattison and the Twilight Series ;-) There is also a good translation of a recent Sovietsky Sport interview with Viktoria Komova's parents.

World Floor Champion Ksenia Afanasyeva grew up in 2011. She has always had something special, but in Tokyo she found her competitive self. Afanasyeva was a great technician during her first major competition, the Youth Olympic Festival (2005) and a gymnast who clearly wanted to communicate with her audience. She has had her competitive ups and downs since then, but has always maintained a great line, amplitude and quality and has gradually improved her consistency. There is an emotional depth to her work. Feel it, especially in the video of her beam routine from the 2011 AA final, set to the music of Liszt and Schubert. By 2011, Afanasyeva had become a consummate artistic gymnast, judged better than the rest of the world on the Blue Riband event of gymnastics, the floor exercise. Facially, she now exudes a quiet confidence and enjoyment. She most elegantly fulfills the requirements of the Code. She is a leader who always works for the team. Many gymnasts peak in the early...

Since my somewhat disastrous attempts at forecasting the national team for the 2011 World Championships, I have decided to steer clear of predictions. But the Russians have just published details of their official squads for 2012 so we do have some information to chew over. This is the first in a series of blogs where I will present the names of the national team members : women, men, the various junior ranks, and the coaches. It's still early days, and who knows who will survive the precarious path towards fitness for the Olympics. Oh my goodness, how I would like to see them ALL in peak condition by the time of the Olympics. At the present time, it is clear that the American women's team is by far the strongest and deepest in the world. John Geddert's recent Facebook declaration (19th January) that 'the USA looks better than ever' demonstrates the confidence that makes them almost inevitable winners in London. The Russian team will challenge strongly, though...

Albert at the All Around Forum posted a link to these two videos, produced by Soviet sports committee Goskomsport in 1990. This was at the very cusp of the breakdown of the Soviet Union and represents perhaps a final record of their sporting educational legacy. Top gymnasts demonstrate basic skills, and we are reminded why the Soviet Union is considered to be a leader in technical excellence twenty years after its last appearance at major competition. The videos are punctuated by character shots of major national championships, and some performances of the then current (1989) USSR All Around Champion Natalia Laschenova, whose complex skills such as the full twisting double somersault dismount from beam appear both powerful and faultless (the take up and twist in the first somersault is almost in the straight position - I think this is the best I have seen the skill performed). The Youtube videos are annotated with the names of the gymnasts appearing, but for the sake of keeping the...

My friend Tracey and I were lucky enough to be able to get some of the last tickets for an official tour of the Olympic Park in Stratford.  As we look forward to the Games, I'm glad to be a Londoner.  The development and regeneration done for these Games is impressive and there is a real feeling of optimism that not only embraces the forthcoming festival, but is also about renewal. One great thing about London is the mix of old and new.  For example, as I walk across the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, I have a view of Canary Wharf and the Docklands developments that are a relatively 'new' part of London's prosperity.  I am overlooking the (sometimes rather smelly) River Thames, the centre of so much of London's past, present and future.  Downriver, I see the Dome, erected to celebrate the Millenium in 2000.  I'm standing within a World Heritage site acknowledged by UNESCO as 'the finest and most dramatically sited architectural and l...

The x issue of Gymnastika

   Olympic test event medallists on the uneven bars.   Anastasia Grishina (centre) gold, Youna Dufourney (France) silver, Jinnan Yao (China) bronze Picture : FIG/Volker Minkus At the end of the day, Russian Princess Anastasia Grishina won through with a splendid competitive performance on bars that fully deserved the gold medal.  It was great to hear the Russian national anthem played for the first time in the Olympic venue.  Let's hope it is prescient for many other airings during the summer.    New!  There is a very nice brief interview with Anastasia at the All Around blog. Full results of the test event FIG Youtube Channel including archived live coverage of all the finals and selected routine coverage from qualifications Piibunina's Youtube Channel including individual routine videos from the test event It wasn't an easy competition for the Russians, by far, this test event.  First time senior international, Anastasia Grishina...

Blythe at the Gymnastics Examiner is doing quick hits of podium training here . Just covering the third subdivision which includes Russians Yulia Inshina and Anastasia Grishina. It has also just been confirmed that the FIG will be doing online streaming of the events finals which take place on Thursday and Friday evenings from 6.30 London time. I believe this is the link. With thanks to the All Around for this news (All Around is also doing quick hits on their Facebook page). All Around also has more comprehensive coverage here !

A revised roster for the women's competition at next week's Olympic test event is now available. Competing for Russia will be Moscow's Anastasia Grishina, who will turn 16 on the 16th January, and World Championships team member Yulia Inshina. This is a solid selection - neither gymnast has anything to lose, indeed Grishina can only gain from this new competitive experience and exposure.  Inshina's calm competitive attitude can only help her team mate along in what might be a daunting first senior competitive experience.  The 02 arena is huge, and far from my favourite venue for a gymnastics competition.  As a spectator I would go so far as to say it lacks intimacy and involvement; goodness knows what it is like for the gymnasts. We had hoped to see Anastasia Sidorova at this competition, but apparently her wrist injury (sustained during a biking accident last summer) is still causing her discomfort. Grishina has significant respect from Russian team coach Alexa...

It was a post on the IG Forum that alerted me to the existence of this video of a wonderful floor exercise from the 1981 Moscow News Tournament.  Irina Breigina, born in 1967 in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan, was the 1979 Junior USSR Champion but sadly missed out on major senior competitive events thanks to a serious foot injury. Nevertheless, this is a really interesting floor routine which shows off Breigina's plasticity and expression to its best effect and also interprets the music in an unexpected way. Incidentally, the Soviet team used the same music for their group exercises at one of the many displays I attended during the early 1980s.  Watch it on Youtube .