Skip to main content

Anna Pavlova ... after all these years

Image
By
Anna Pavlova, 2004.  Courtesy of Sing Lo

Anna Pavlova, 2004 and 2008 Olympian, is still competing after all these years and put in a grand showing at this weekend's (2nd November) Schiltigheim Tournament in France, placing first ahead of home favourites Amelie Pauffert, Manon Cormoreche and Johanna Cano and established internationals Krystyna Palesova and Marina Kostiuchenko.

Still competing with heavy strapping on her once gravely injured right knee, Pavlova's work has retained its languid and musical presentation but does not have the pace or difficulty of many of today's top performers.  She still manages a whip to triple twist as her first tumble on floor, and her beam shows all of that magical sense of magnetism and balance that has always been characteristic of her work.  

I do not know if Pavlova would be mentally or physically capable of the intensive training and competition undertaken by the Russian team today.  But the nature of her exile from that elite group will always be questioned while so much remains unsaid as to the state of management of the Russian team, and while she can still turn out performances like these: with thanks to Ninalfee.

Full results are available here.


Labels:

Comments

  1. M7 November 2012 at 21:45

    It's good that she is still competing if she wants to. She is doing what she loves. Does she get prize money for these meets or is it just World Cup?

    Also can she enter into a WC or does the federation get the choice of who goes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Queen Elizabeth8 November 2012 at 06:02

      Presumably there must be some incentive for Pavlova to compete at these events, even if it is only that the organisers pay her travel and other costs.
      Gymnasts have to be training with the national team to be selected for World Cup events. While she is a sentimental favourite. I do not think there is much strategic progressive advantage for Russia to factor Pavlova onto the team at this stage of her career.
      Though she may prove me wrong :-)

      Delete
    2. M8 November 2012 at 07:50

      Ah I see. I agree, I don't think she can factor into the national team, her difficulty is too low and I am not sure she is what she use to be. She might be sentimental favorite but I wasn't one of those people who thought she should have made the Olympic team.

      I was just wondering, since she has little chance of making the Russian team, if she is able to still be making some money doing these events despite that. I mean, I understand that she loves the sport and isn't ready to leave but life is hard,so I hope she would still be earning some money or something.

      Or they could put her on the team and just send her to a couple WC events so she can make some money :)

      Delete
  2. Anonymous11 November 2012 at 19:39

    If I were a national team diving coach I would bring Anna aboard and begin packing for Rio. I am not sure how she would feel about an aquatic life, but her knee would probably be grateful. And who knows, maybe her finances too.

    'Russian Olympian becomes USA Diving Hopeful' is a headline she could take to the bank.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dmitri Andreev - we are building towards long term goals

By
  Dmitri Andreev, Russia’s gymnastics leader now that Andrei Rodionenko has stepped into an advisory capacity, is a long standing national coach and well respected international judge.  Now, as gymnastics in Russia steps forward onto the international arena once more, (via its neutral athletes, coaches and officials), it’s up to Andreev and his team to support and structure the growth and development of gymnastics.   Russia’s first big goal as neutral athletes is to qualify for the Olympics at the October World Championships.  Many of the gymnasts have limited experience on the big stage.  The necessary placements are therefore a big ask - especially emotionally and psychologically.   Here is how Andreev sees things working. 1. Transition Phase: Building Toward Major Goals The Russian team is in a deliberate rebuilding and preparation phase. Early-season competitions like the Russian Cup serve more as evaluation tools than peak performances. The primary o...
1 comment
Read more

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

By
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...
30 comments
Read more

Andrei Rodionenko explains Russia's performance at Worlds - Lupitatranslates

By
Rodionenko with European Champion David Belyavski  Courtesy RGF/Elena Mikhailova This is the interview that many people on the internet have already commented on, regarding Andrei Rodionenko's alleged racism.  The original, Russian language version, appears on VTB Bank's website (VTB are sponsors of Russian gymnastics).  It takes cleverer people than me to decide what is racism, what is deliberately perjorative, and what is inferred in an interviewer's question.  For now, I will not comment on this, therefore, but I would ask you to read Lupita's translation carefully before you form your own opinion.   I am providing some links below which might help you to decide where you stand. Definition of racism Definition of sexism BBC Sport article by Matthew Syed : Is it wrong to note that 100m winners are always black?            Updated 24/10 CSKA Moscow: UEFA opens racist chants case         ...
48 comments
Read more

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more