Skip to main content

Congratulations, Queen Mustafina!

Leading gymnasts at today's all around Russian Championships.  Ksenia Afanasyeva (silver); Aliya Mustafina (gold); Anastasia Grishina (bronze)  By kind permission of the Russian Gymnastics Federation
Please see reports of the junior and senior competition results below.

Find the Russian Gymnastics Federation's own photoreportage.

Comments

  1. Gee, what a contrast. Aliya all smiling, Ksenia slightly more serious, and Anastasia... well, my apologies for asking, but does she ever look happy instead of grumpy?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :-) She does have quite a sweet smile. Perhaps her nose was itching or something.

      Delete
    2. she is just looking down. It's like when someone closes their eyes as the photo is taken..can make them look real sleepy or wierd. i'm sure we have all had akward photos taken of us we are just lucky (unless when we get tagged of facebook :P ) that they wont be online for everybody to pick on them.

      Delete
    3. I guess this anonymous is lifje on the International Gymnast Forum. ;) No disrespect meant to Anastasia, but I honestly hope to see her smile a bit more often. Now her smile is such a rarity.

      Delete
    4. Now, now.
      Poor Anastasia - she's only 15 and probably very shy. Russians smile much less frequently that we do in the West - I walk around with a silly smile plastered all over my face, partly to try to make my wrinkles curl in the right direction as I can't afford cosmetic surgery. Nastia doesn't have to worry about that just yet.
      As an entirely optional exercise, I challenge you both to find a lovely photograph of Nastia with a big beautiful smile on her face (there are some), and post a link to it here.

      Delete
    5. I never ask people to do things I'm not prepared to do myself. So here's a start.

      http://russiangymnasts.net/anastasiya-grishina/pics/11nats/05.jpg

      Delete
    6. yes i am (i'm just anonymous here cuz it seemed easier :P )
      anyway i found out what makes her smile! A hug from Queen Elizabeth! http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/404797_320075864701323_100000967355045_929214_283421317_n.jpg

      Delete
    7. http://gymnet.org/forum/files/2010_euros_anastasia_grishina_fx_aa_01_172.jpg

      OK, I think this one comes close to a happy looking Grishina.

      Delete
  2. we want to see the same colored medal decorating your neck in London Aliya!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nelli Kim - 'Russian gymnastics has closed in on itself' - Lupita translates

Lupita has translated this ITAR-TASS interview with Nelli Kim.  It's controversial, to say the least. Ed's note : much of the initial response to this interview - both here and in the wider gymternet -  has focussed on the detail of Kim's words and especially her comments about Viktoria Komova, and smiling.  But I think these have to be taken in context, and not too literally. Don't forget that just a day ago Andrei Rodionenko complained bitterly about the judging in Antwerp, calling Kim's behaviour 'aggressive'. Kim is responding to this here, and to the wider current context of Russian gymnastics.  What she is essentially saying to the Russian coach is 'get your own house in order, produce confident, disciplined, well trained gymnasts - stop complaining, do your job, and I will do mine.'   She goes about saying this in a somewhat long winded way and says some things along the way that seem contradictory, unfair, inappropriate even for th...

Review of Russian WAG at the 2014 World Championships

The Russians during a team talk in training for the World Championships.  Courtesy RGF Bronze all the way for Russia then.  Beyond the euphoria and surprise of this morning's competition there doesn't really seem to be much to write home about. I am delighted for Aliya personally that the efforts she has made to help the team have provided her with some tangible result, but the principal feeling at the end of the competition is that of relief.  As Vaitsekhovskaya said in her article last week, there were no moments of shock and awe from the Russians, and that's what will be needed if they are to compete for gold medals in Rio (translation available here ). Let's consider a timeline of the competition : before, during and after. BEFORE The promise of a return to the Worlds stage by Viktoria Komova gave Russia a feeling of optimism pre-Russia Cup.  However, Viktoria's performance at this important competition gave little reason for celebra...

Decoding Dmitri Andreev’s Coaching Values.

When a new head coach takes on one of the most influential roles in artistic gymnastics, it is natural to ask what values and principles guide their leadership. In Dmitri Andreev’s case, most of what we know comes not from personal essays or political statements, but from interviews, press conferences, and official announcements related to his work in the sport.   Understanding his values means paying attention to how he talks about athletes, coaching, leadership, and the future of Russian gymnastics. Several consistent themes emerge from his public comments. Collective Effort Over Individual Glory Andreev regularly presents gymnastics as a collective endeavour rather than a platform for individual achievement. When discussing his appointment as head coach, he emphasised the importance of bringing together athletes, coaches, and support staff to work towards shared goals. He also described leadership in terms of responsibility rather than authority. This suggests a value system cen...

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more