Russia's Nikolai Kuksenkov today became the first man since the legendary Yuri Korolev (1981, 1983) to defend his World University Games all around gold medal, and the first ever to take back-to-back titles for two different countries. He earned his victory thanks to a uniquely calm but consistent competitive ethos, and solid all around ability. Without scoring the highest mark on any single piece of apparatus, he held a faultless line across all six.
There were other gymnasts whose greater risk and difficulty could have beaten Kuksenkov, but they all withered in the heat of a strong competition, victims to their ambition and risk. Japan's Ryohei Kato, a simply beautiful gymnast whose execution gains him an edge, would have won easily but for a fall from the parallel bars (injury?). The dramatically explosive Oleg Verniaiev of Ukraine had a disappointing showing on pommel horse but otherwise sizzled through the apparatus for his shared bronze medal. His compatriot, Oleg Stepko, was less lucky. He suffered a shattering series of errors on floor from which he could never recover, despite a blistering parallel bars set, ending up out of the medals.
Russia must be pleased with Kuksenkov; you can see that he has already been accepted into the arms of the national team and with results like this, he looks likely to be a lock for an all around slot in September's World Championships. There, the Chinese, Japanese and others including Britain and Germany, will give Russia a run for their money; but Russia's MAG team is beginning to look stronger and more confident than in an age.
Full results are here.
Aliya is training a TTY. I am scared for her. She shouldn't do it. Valentina says she will do it at worlds. I am afraid she will get injured. http://www.sovsport.ru/news/text-item/622976
ReplyDeleteDon't panic! Aliya will only do.what her personal coaches deem appropriate and safe. Valentina is a spokesperson, not a proper coach and she has made lots of these statements.
DeleteA TTY is a long distance away imo. Aliya will only do what she is ready to do.
Have you seen this interview with Aliya, Kaley? It is from the Vk.com gymnastics site (thank you Anna Toropova). Aliya says she is practicing a TTY into a pit, and even an Amanar, though she finds that more frightening - the landing is better in the TTY.
DeleteShe says she doesn't know if she will compete the vault at the World Championships, and that her performance here in Kazan was 'good'. The interview says 'Great?' and she just repeats 'Good'.
She says she will soon recover from this competition - just needs two weeks' hard training after the ten days' recovery (in another interview, Grebyonkin says the team are setting off for Cyprus today or tomorrow).
ŠŠ½ŃŠµŃŠ²ŃŃ ŠŠ»ŠøŠø:
- ŠÆ Š¾ŃŠµŠ½Ń Ń Š¾ŃŠµŠ»Š° ŃŃŠ°ŃŃŠ²Š¾Š²Š°ŃŃ Š½Š° Š£Š½ŠøŠ²ŠµŃŃŠøŠ°Š“Šµ, Šø Š½ŠøŃŃŃŃ Š½Šµ Š¶Š°Š»ŠµŃ, ŃŃŠ¾ ŠæŃŠøŠµŃ Š°Š»Š° Š² ŠŠ°Š·Š°Š½Ń, - ŃŠŗŠ°Š·Š°Š»Š° ŠŠ»ŠøŃ ŠŃŃŃŠ°ŃŠøŠ½Š°. ā Š”ŠµŠ³Š¾Š“Š½Ń Š±ŃŠ» ŃŠ°Š¼ŃŠ¹ ŃŃŠ¶ŃŠ»ŃŠ¹ Š“ŠµŠ½Ń. ŠŃŠ¾Š±ŠµŠ½Š½Š¾ ā ŠµŠ³Š¾ Š²ŃŠ¾ŃŠ°Ń ŠæŠ¾Š»Š¾Š²ŠøŠ½Š°. ŠŃŠµŠ½Ń Š“Š¾Š»Š³Š¾ Šø Š½ŃŠ“Š½Š¾ Š²ŃŃ ŃŃŠ½ŃŠ»Š¾ŃŃ. ŠŠ¾ Ń Š¾ŃŠµŠ½Ń Š“Š¾Š²Š¾Š»ŃŠ½Š° ŃŠ¾Š±Š¾Š¹ ā ŠŗŠ°Šŗ Š²ŃŃŃŃŠæŠøŠ»Š° Š½Š° Š±ŃŃŃŃŃŃ , Šø ŃŃŠ¾ Š½Šµ ŃŠæŠ°Š»Š° Š½Š° Š±ŃŠµŠ²Š½Šµ. Š„Š¾ŃŃ ā Ń ŠæŃŠ¾ŃŃŠ¾ ŃŠ“ŠµŠ»Š°Š»Š° ŃŠ²Š¾Ń Š“ŠµŠ»Š¾. ŠŃ, Š° Š½Š° Š²Š¾Š»ŃŠ½ŃŃ ŃŠæŃŠ°Š¶Š½ŠµŠ½ŠøŃŃ ŠæŃŠ¾ŃŃŠ¾ Š½Šµ Ń Š²Š°ŃŠøŠ»Š¾ ŃŠøŠ».
- Š”ŃŠ°ŃŃŠøŠ¹ ŃŃŠµŠ½ŠµŃ ŃŠ±Š¾ŃŠ½Š¾Š¹ Š Š¾ŃŃŠøŠø ŠŠ°Š»ŠµŠ½ŃŠøŠ½Š° Š Š¾Š“ŠøŠ¾Š½ŠµŠ½ŠŗŠ¾ ŃŠŗŠ°Š·Š°Š»Š°, ŃŃŠ¾ Š½Š° ŃŃŠµŠ½ŠøŃŠ¾Š²ŠŗŠ°Ń Š²Ń Š“ŠµŠ»Š°ŠµŃŠµ ŠæŃŃŠ¶ŠŗŠø Š² ŃŃŠø Š¾Š±Š¾ŃŠ¾ŃŠ°.
- ŠŃ ŃŃŠµŠ½ŠøŃŃŠµŠ¼ ŃŃŠ¾, Š½Š¾ Š½Š° Š¼ŃŠ³ŠŗŠ¾Š¹ ŃŠ¼Šµ. Š ŃŠ°Šŗ Š¼Š½Šµ Š“Š°Š¶Šµ 2,5 Š¾Š±Š¾ŃŠ¾ŃŠ° ŃŃŃŠ°ŃŠ½Š¾Š²Š°ŃŠ¾ ŠæŃŃŠ³Š°ŃŃ. Š¢ŃŠø Š²ŠøŠ½ŃŠ° Š“Š°ŃŃŃŃ ŠæŃŠ¾ŃŠµ, Š½Š¾ Ń Š½Šµ Š·Š½Š°Ń, Š±ŃŠ“Ń ŠøŃ ŠæŃŃŠ³Š°ŃŃ Š½Š° ŃŠµŠ¼ŠæŠøŠ¾Š½Š°ŃŠµ Š¼ŠøŃŠ° ŠøŠ»Šø Š½ŠµŃ.
- ŠŠ°Šŗ Š² ŃŠµŠ»Š¾Š¼ Š¾ŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠ²Š°ŠµŃŠµ ŃŠ²Š¾Ń Š²ŃŃŃŃŠæŠ»ŠµŠ½ŠøŠµ Š½Š° Š£Š½ŠøŠ²ŠµŃŃŠøŠ°Š“Šµ?
- Š„Š¾ŃŠ¾ŃŠµŠµ.
- ŠŠµ Š¾ŃŠ»ŠøŃŠ½Š¾Šµ?
- Š„Š¾ŃŠ¾ŃŠµŠµ.
- Š”ŠŗŠ¾Š»ŃŠŗŠ¾ Š²Š°Š¼ ŃŠµŠæŠµŃŃ Š½ŃŠ¶Š½Š¾ Š²ŃŠµŠ¼ŠµŠ½Šø, ŃŃŠ¾Š±Ń Š²Š¾ŃŃŃŠ°Š½Š¾Š²ŠøŃŃŃŃ ŠæŠ¾ŃŠ»Šµ ŃŠ°ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š¾ Š½Š°ŠæŃŃŠ¶ŃŠ½Š½Š¾Š³Š¾ ŃŃŃŠ½ŠøŃŠ°?
- ŠŃŠ¼Š°Ń, Š½ŠµŠ“ŠµŠ»ŃŠŗŠø Š“Š²Šµ ŃŠ°Š±Š¾ŃŠ°ŃŃ Š±ŃŠ“ŠµŃ ŃŃŠ¶ŠµŠ»Š¾Š²Š°ŃŠ¾. ŠŠ¾ Š²ŠæŠµŃŠµŠ“Šø Ń Š½Š°Ń 10-Š“Š½ŠµŠ²Š½ŃŠ¹ Š²Š¾ŃŃŃŠ°Š½Š¾Š²ŠøŃŠµŠ»ŃŠ½ŃŠ¹ ŃŠ±Š¾Ń. ŠŠ³Š¾ Š“Š¾Š»Š¶Š½Š¾ Ń Š²Š°ŃŠøŃŃ.
- ŠŠ° ŠŃŠ±ŠŗŠµ Š Š¾ŃŃŠøŠø ŠæŃŠ¾Š³ŃŠ°Š¼Š¼Ń Š±ŃŠ“ŃŃ ŃŠ»Š¾Š¶Š½ŠµŠµ?
- ŠŠ¾ŠŗŠ° ŠµŃŃ ŃŠ°Š½Š¾ Š¾Š± ŃŃŠ¾Š¼ Š³Š¾Š²Š¾ŃŠøŃŃ. ŠŠ¾ŃŠ¼Š¾ŃŃŠøŠ¼, ŠŗŠ°Šŗ Š²ŃŃ ŠæŠ¾Š¹Š“ŃŃ.
Thank you so much Elizabeth! The interview is very helpful. I don't think Aliya should be doing the TTY or an Amanar. Her form has been deteriorating. I understand that forward landings are harder, but I don't think she could get the TTY all the way around. It would look like a tucked TTY to me. She should stick to her DTY, which isn't even the best. It looked nice in London, but is not good right now. I'm hoping that she doesn't compete it ever.
DeleteValentina exaggerated things too much and was ignorant towards the Americans. She said that the Americans were scared to come to Universiade, but they haven't sent a team since 1997 so it isn't because they are scared. She also said the Americans will try to retaliate by doing the TTY and spy on the Russians. Maroney said she was doing it into pits before London and there was a video of Biles doing it before her interview. She also said that Komova had her amanar back 4 days after saying Vika had everything but vault back. I would just like to see the Russians doing what they are ready for at Worlds and see them do well.
I echo that sentiment Kaley ... Antwerp will be an unknown quantity as far as Russia is concerned and I hope they get through the competition in one piece, looking reasonably sound.
DeleteYes, I hope that Russia gets through the competition in one piece as well. I hope no injuries occur to any of the teams. It would be a great competition if everyone hits and there is no controversy. Antwerp will be a much better competition than most Worlds after an Olympics.
Delete