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, and will offer some of the most attractive gymnastics on display at the Olympics. They emerged from Tokyo a little bloodied after the fiasco of the all around competition, but then again were moral winners after a strong showing in the event finals. Silver medals in the team and all around competitions were not so bad, after all. For a team that almost draped themselves in ashcloth from the very beginning of their days in Tokyo, their final medal count seems almost immodest. They have earned the right to a fair fight in London.
Who is in the main senior squad? Well, beware - this may not be the final definitive list - in fact, with the Russian Championships due in the spring, this is almost certainly still work in progress. For example, in a recent interview, Andrei Rodionenko has mentioned Violetta Malikova as a contender. Her name does not appear on the list. Alar at the All Around Forum has also mentioned Ekaterina Shtronda as a surprise exclusion.
I transliterate the information here from the Russian Gymnastics Federation's website, in the Russian alphabetical order the gymnasts appear there. Beneath the gymnast's name appear her date of birth, where she trains, and the names of her personal coaches.
There are 14 gymnasts in total, and 13 are age-eligible for the Olympics. The oldest gymnast, Alyona Polyan, celebrates her 23rd birthday in June, just before the London Olympics. The youngest Olympics-eligible team member is Anna Rodionova, who turns 16 at the end of November.
A measure of the Russians' progress is not only that six of the gymnasts are individual medalists at European or World Championships, but also the ever-widening geographical spread of their home gymnasia. Just a few years ago Moscow gymnasts dominated the team, but here we see the growing importance of such places as Rostov-on-Don, Voronezh and Tula, and the emergence of a few names on the gymnastics map, such as Yoshkar-Ola and Volzhski in the Volga region, and Alatir in the Chuvash Republic. This reflects the Russian Government's increasing investment in sports.
Below the main list I will attempt to cluster the main contenders for a place on the Olympic team by all around and individual apparatus specialists. I have put the gymnasts into an order which I consider - at a glance - to reflect their competitive potential, although this potential may change as the year progresses. Vault is a real weakness in Russia's armoury, and the team will have to address this if they wish to take advantage of the relatively high scores possible on this apparatus, the one at which their main rivals, the Americans really excel and use to its full scoring advantage.
The Russian team selection will not be easy. There is depth in the all around field but elsewhere specialisms are spread across a larger number of gymnasts than will make for a comfortable six pack. For once the team may perform better in finals (5-3-3) than in qualifications (5-4-3). There is clear air for improvement throughout the team, and for development of strength in depth. It always amazes me how bluff and honest the Russian coaches are, compared to the overtly confident spin of the Americans. But Rodionenko's assertion that the team must build 'reliability, quality and stability' and avoid health problems and injuries, just about says it all. The Russians do not have the logistical advantages of the Americans, even if the quality of their work often speaks volumes for the richest cultural heritage that exists in sport.
Ksenia Dimitriyevna Afanasyeva
13th September 1991
Khimki, Tula
N S Nabakova, M V Nazarova, S O Gaidorov
Yulia Yurievna Belokobylskaya
14th December 1995
Rostov-on-Don
N Y Dolgushina, N I Zubrilova, L N Kazakova
Anastasia Nikolayevna Grishina
16th January 1996
Moscow
O E Sikorro, S B Zelikson, R M Ganina
Anna Yurievna Dementieva
28th December 1994
Khimki, Samara
Y V Zhiganova, M P Savushkin, Z T Stolyarova
Diana Dimitryevna Elkina
3rd November 1996
Volzhsky
E A Grebenkin, Y V Grebenkina
Yulia Andreyevna Inshina
15th April 1995
Voronezh
A A Pravdin, N V Pravdina, S A Buchneva
Viktoria Alexandrovna Komova
30th January 1995
Voronezh
G B Elfimov, O M Bulgakova, V V Kolesnikova, N Y Fedina
Aliya Fargatovna Mustafina
30th October 1994
Moscow
Brigada, A S Alexandrov, R M Ganina
Tatiana Olegovna Nabieva
21st November 1994
St Petersburg
V I Kiryashova, A V Kiryashov
Alyona Igoryevna Polyan
14th June 1989
Ulyanovsk
L V Polyan
Anna Alexandrovna Rodionova
21st November 1996
Yoshkar-Ola
G A Fomenko, L G Tiulkina
Anastasia Sergeievna Sidorova
28th September 1996
Rostov-on-Don
O N Sagina, L R Fudimova, L I Glushko
Maria Sergeievna Stepanova
27th December 1995
Fryazino
U V Purscheva, Y N Bachurin
Evgeniya Andreevna Shelgunova (eligible for senior international competition after 2013)
8th August 1997
Khimki, Alatir
L M Marunova, N A Tikhonova
ALL AROUND CONTENDERS
Aliya Mustafina
Viktoria Komova
Anna Dementieva
Ksenia Afanasyeva
Yulia Belokobylskaya
Anastasia Grishina
Alyona Polyan
VAULT CONTENDERS
Tatiana Nabieva
Viktoria Komova
Aliya Mustafina
Anastasia Sidorova
Anastasia Grishina
Alyona Polyan
UNEVEN BARS CONTENDERS
Aliya Mustafina
Viktoria Komova
Tatiana Nabieva
Anna Dementieva
Anastasia Grishina
BEAM CONTENDERS
Viktoria Komova
Aliya Mustafina
Anna Dementieva
Yulia Belokobylskaya
Ksenia Afanasyeva
Anastasia Grishina
Yulia Inshina
Anastasia Sidorova
Alyona Polyan
FLOOR CONTENDERS
Ksenia Afanasyeva
Yulia Belokobylskaya
Viktoria Komova
Aliya Mustafina
Anna Dementieva
Anastasia Sidorova
Alyona Polyan
THE TEAM
Team spirit and leadership is vital for a diverse, emotional team like the Russians. Getting the right mix of personalities to work together adds a dimension of alchemy to an already difficult technical selection. Aliya Mustafina is the fighter, Ksenia Afanasyeva the mother. Viktoria Komova seems temperamental, artistic, while Anna Dementieva is diligent, well behaved. Anastasia Grishina is the intelligent, ambitious upstart, Yulia Belokobylskaya the quietly determined, impermeable one. Tatiana Nabieva the beating heart.
There are but a few short months before the Russians will be back in London. I wish every single one of them the very best of luck as they enter the Olympic fray.
Pictures (Nabieva, Komova, Dementieva) by kind permission of the Russian Gymnastics Federation
Afanasyeva by permission of the FIG/Volker Minkus
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, and will offer some of the most attractive gymnastics on display at the Olympics. They emerged from Tokyo a little bloodied after the fiasco of the all around competition, but then again were moral winners after a strong showing in the event finals. Silver medals in the team and all around competitions were not so bad, after all. For a team that almost draped themselves in ashcloth from the very beginning of their days in Tokyo, their final medal count seems almost immodest. They have earned the right to a fair fight in London.
Who is in the main senior squad? Well, beware - this may not be the final definitive list - in fact, with the Russian Championships due in the spring, this is almost certainly still work in progress. For example, in a recent interview, Andrei Rodionenko has mentioned Violetta Malikova as a contender. Her name does not appear on the list. Alar at the All Around Forum has also mentioned Ekaterina Shtronda as a surprise exclusion.
I transliterate the information here from the Russian Gymnastics Federation's website, in the Russian alphabetical order the gymnasts appear there. Beneath the gymnast's name appear her date of birth, where she trains, and the names of her personal coaches.
There are 14 gymnasts in total, and 13 are age-eligible for the Olympics. The oldest gymnast, Alyona Polyan, celebrates her 23rd birthday in June, just before the London Olympics. The youngest Olympics-eligible team member is Anna Rodionova, who turns 16 at the end of November.
A measure of the Russians' progress is not only that six of the gymnasts are individual medalists at European or World Championships, but also the ever-widening geographical spread of their home gymnasia. Just a few years ago Moscow gymnasts dominated the team, but here we see the growing importance of such places as Rostov-on-Don, Voronezh and Tula, and the emergence of a few names on the gymnastics map, such as Yoshkar-Ola and Volzhski in the Volga region, and Alatir in the Chuvash Republic. This reflects the Russian Government's increasing investment in sports.
Below the main list I will attempt to cluster the main contenders for a place on the Olympic team by all around and individual apparatus specialists. I have put the gymnasts into an order which I consider - at a glance - to reflect their competitive potential, although this potential may change as the year progresses. Vault is a real weakness in Russia's armoury, and the team will have to address this if they wish to take advantage of the relatively high scores possible on this apparatus, the one at which their main rivals, the Americans really excel and use to its full scoring advantage.
The Russian team selection will not be easy. There is depth in the all around field but elsewhere specialisms are spread across a larger number of gymnasts than will make for a comfortable six pack. For once the team may perform better in finals (5-3-3) than in qualifications (5-4-3). There is clear air for improvement throughout the team, and for development of strength in depth. It always amazes me how bluff and honest the Russian coaches are, compared to the overtly confident spin of the Americans. But Rodionenko's assertion that the team must build 'reliability, quality and stability' and avoid health problems and injuries, just about says it all. The Russians do not have the logistical advantages of the Americans, even if the quality of their work often speaks volumes for the richest cultural heritage that exists in sport.
Ksenia Dimitriyevna Afanasyeva
13th September 1991
Khimki, Tula
N S Nabakova, M V Nazarova, S O Gaidorov
Yulia Yurievna Belokobylskaya
14th December 1995
Rostov-on-Don
N Y Dolgushina, N I Zubrilova, L N Kazakova
Anastasia Nikolayevna Grishina
16th January 1996
Moscow
O E Sikorro, S B Zelikson, R M Ganina
Anna Yurievna Dementieva
28th December 1994
Khimki, Samara
Y V Zhiganova, M P Savushkin, Z T Stolyarova
Diana Dimitryevna Elkina
3rd November 1996
Volzhsky
E A Grebenkin, Y V Grebenkina
Yulia Andreyevna Inshina
15th April 1995
Voronezh
A A Pravdin, N V Pravdina, S A Buchneva
Viktoria Alexandrovna Komova
30th January 1995
Voronezh
G B Elfimov, O M Bulgakova, V V Kolesnikova, N Y Fedina
Aliya Fargatovna Mustafina
30th October 1994
Moscow
Brigada, A S Alexandrov, R M Ganina
Tatiana Olegovna Nabieva
21st November 1994
St Petersburg
V I Kiryashova, A V Kiryashov
Alyona Igoryevna Polyan
14th June 1989
Ulyanovsk
L V Polyan
Anna Alexandrovna Rodionova
21st November 1996
Yoshkar-Ola
G A Fomenko, L G Tiulkina
Anastasia Sergeievna Sidorova
28th September 1996
Rostov-on-Don
O N Sagina, L R Fudimova, L I Glushko
Maria Sergeievna Stepanova
27th December 1995
Fryazino
U V Purscheva, Y N Bachurin
Evgeniya Andreevna Shelgunova (eligible for senior international competition after 2013)
8th August 1997
Khimki, Alatir
L M Marunova, N A Tikhonova
ALL AROUND CONTENDERS
 | |
| Aliya Mustafina, team captain, World Champion 2010 |
Viktoria Komova
Anna Dementieva
Ksenia Afanasyeva
Yulia Belokobylskaya
Anastasia Grishina
Alyona Polyan
VAULT CONTENDERS
 |
| Tatiana Nabieva, World Team Champion 2010 |
Tatiana Nabieva
Viktoria Komova
Aliya Mustafina
Anastasia Sidorova
Anastasia Grishina
Alyona Polyan
UNEVEN BARS CONTENDERS
 |
| Viktoria Komova, World Bars Champion 2011 |
Viktoria Komova
Tatiana Nabieva
Anna Dementieva
Anastasia Grishina
BEAM CONTENDERS
 |
| Anna Dementieva, European Champion 2011 |
Viktoria Komova
Aliya Mustafina
Anna Dementieva
Yulia Belokobylskaya
Ksenia Afanasyeva
Anastasia Grishina
Yulia Inshina
Anastasia Sidorova
Alyona Polyan
FLOOR CONTENDERS
 | ||
| Ksenia Afanasyeva, World Floor Champion 2011 |
Ksenia Afanasyeva
Yulia Belokobylskaya
Viktoria Komova
Aliya Mustafina
Anna Dementieva
Anastasia Sidorova
Alyona Polyan
THE TEAM
Team spirit and leadership is vital for a diverse, emotional team like the Russians. Getting the right mix of personalities to work together adds a dimension of alchemy to an already difficult technical selection. Aliya Mustafina is the fighter, Ksenia Afanasyeva the mother. Viktoria Komova seems temperamental, artistic, while Anna Dementieva is diligent, well behaved. Anastasia Grishina is the intelligent, ambitious upstart, Yulia Belokobylskaya the quietly determined, impermeable one. Tatiana Nabieva the beating heart.
 |
| Tatiana Nabieva competes on bars during the World Championships Team final, 2010. Russia won gold. |
There are but a few short months before the Russians will be back in London. I wish every single one of them the very best of luck as they enter the Olympic fray.
Pictures (Nabieva, Komova, Dementieva) by kind permission of the Russian Gymnastics Federation
Afanasyeva by permission of the FIG/Volker Minkus
Elizabeth. Olympics are 5-4-3 and 5-3-3; just like Europeans this year. So Europeans will be a real test for Russia.
ReplyDeleteAlos, Rodionova is a clear beam specialist with the flic - arabian in her series.
ReplyDeleteThanks Albert - I have corrected the post!
ReplyDeleteDo you want a new job as proof reader?
If it's something involving Russians, sure!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. The only thing I will say is that Polyan is not a vault contender or will even be used on VT in a team situation. Her vaults are lower in difficulty compared to many others on the national team.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually rather surprised that Polyan appears on the Federation's list at all. But she has great stability - a quality the Russians need.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing to say that with hard training Polyan cannot increase her difficulty, and a predictable gymnast is of great value. Having said that, I do think she is there as a training companion more than in a competitive capacity.
Well, we don't know, do we? Let's wait and see ...
For me the biggest surprise is Paseka named as reserve team when it's clear that Russia could use her Yurchenko 2 1/2 if consistent.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your posts , Queen Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteTo Albert: Maria Paseka has been injured right before the Worlds. Considering the little time left before the Olympics that's reasonable desicion. If healthy she'll be in the main squad, she's a very good vaulter indeed.
Superlative photos and photo selection.
ReplyDeleteI do have a small correction though- think Komova's born 30 January.
Thanks Lyudmilla - I have checked the Federation's main site and her birthday IS 30th January - not so very far off!! Another thing that is getting old, alongside Alexandrov and Chusovitina, is my eyesight ;-).
ReplyDeleteI love the variety of expression in those photographs. The Russian team are all so individual.
General question leading on from Lilia and Albert's posts:
ReplyDeleteCan the Russian team afford to take a one-event specialist to London?
Can the Russian team afford to take an untested gymnast (novice at major championships) to the Olympics?
Thanks all for your posts!
I believe A. Alexandrow knows the game so very very well. He's an outstanding strategist. He'll try to compose a win-team. A lot of team models will be tested along with different gymnasts till the recipe of the optimal team members is found. Novices or experienced, all are going to be through a lot of strain and ordeal of preolympic training, very intensive, very demanding.. those who'll stand by it will be a team material. He keeps on saying that it's all very changing in women's gymnastics, you train , you try hard, you'll succeed. We'll see, we can prognose but prognoses are never certain.
DeletePersonally, I'm very grateful and happy that Russian Gymnastics has Alexandrov back, he's super professional and gives his whole heart to it ( according to K. Afanasieva - inverview )!!
I'm always delighted to see such a classical and beatiful gymnasts perfoming and winning. The best of luck to all of them.
In a 5-3-3 situation, an outstanding one eventer could be taken if Mustafina and Komova are 100% fit.
DeleteNo Kristina Sidorova? That is weird! Being a member of the European Junior Champion teamm I've thought she will be definitely joining the pack. At least she is more predictable than Malikova. I hope Rodninko & Alexandrov give it a second thought.
ReplyDeleteEmily