 |
| 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
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24654499
Andrei
Fiodorovich has been shown some newspapers describing Russia's first Worlds after
the Olympics as a failure. This is despite Mustafina’s magnificent beam victory, which atones for a great deal, as no one can remember when our gymnasts last won on beam. Аnd there is Balandin’s silver medal on rings. Rodionenko
didn’t avoid an open discussion on the topic and answered the most difficult
questions.
– Andrei
Fiodorovixch, how can we assess globally what we saw in Belgium?
– My answer is
twofold. We experimented with a few things, but didn’t succeed everywhere. It wasn't a failure, because we didn't set a target for the number of medals to win, but we did manage to fulfill ourselves. We fight at the top level, even if the Americans can compete with two
teams and we have difficultly to gather one. It’s not a complaint, it’s a fact.
In the 1970s’ our men’s team couldn’t beat the Japanese for nineteen years! Some great
Soviet gymnasts suffered severe defeats ...
– Was
including risk in the routines justified?
– We could not have
risked keeping our routines as they were. Treading water is not
interesting. This is why we performed supercomplex elements. We didn’t achieve
everything … Aren’t the first Worlds after the Olympics the best place to risk? Not
all our experiments were well appreciated. It’s worth mentioning. Some judges are
not prepared to understand. I can explain why. I don’t know why the second and
third category judges were not there. Some third, fourth category judges were
giving scores at the World Championships … Some of them were women wearing the
hijab.
– It’s
exotic!
– After the
Olympics the judges’ perception changed substantially. A few elements are
now scored differently. Now I have got the explanations, everything is clear, but
it would be good to know in advance of competitions, because that is when we create routines, and when we begin
to create them, we don’t know where we are going. I compare gymnastics with
diving. When divers create their routines, they calculate what he is able to
perform. He counts the points and knows the score he can obtain. In gymnastics,
we are told. 'Show us what you have invented, and later we’ll decide the value'.
– Recently,
I watched a video with Korbut’s loop, Mukhina’s loop. They stood on the high
bar, jumped, did a somersault and regrasped the bar. It’s a pity that nobody
creates such spectacular elements.
– First, you are
not allowed to stand on the high bar. Second, for current gymnasts, that is very
easy.
– It looks
spectacular and is breathtaking!
– It only looks
so. Do you remember the back somersault? The gymnasts do it without pausing.
Gymnastics develops quicker than those who rule it.
 |
| Andrei Rodionenko; Denis Ablyazin's coach, Sergei Starkin to the rear. Courtesy RGF |
– Are you
sure that the bureaucratic slowness is to blame? Are you avoiding blaming
Nelli Kim, president of the FIG Technical Committee? It has been mentioned
several times that the Soviet former star is working for the USA. She is
responsible for the rejection of the inquiry concerning Mustafina’s beam score.
Andrei Fiodorovich, aren’t you becoming a hostage of your own nobility?
– I did so a
long time ago … We have already talked to Nelli Kim. She says that they were
fighting for the same, but the FIG Executive Committee didn’t approve it. It’s
difficult to know: either the Technical Committee has not done everything it
should, or there’s a bad intention. It’s impossible to find out without the
help of a private detective!
– Where did
you miscalculate in Belgium?
– We simply
didn’t compete with the team we had planned. 90%! This was due to a series of
injuries and diseases. For the men, the Universiade took place at such a time that meant that the athletes could not peak. There was no time for them to recover.
– Hambuechen
didn’t perform at the Universiade. He only ‘trained’ in Kazan. Fabian only
competed on two events! He was not ready for the AA, he told me. Those who were
not ready then, were ready now. Kuksenkov and Belyavski peaked in Kazan. They
had the opportunity to perform new elements that were not entirely polished, or of doing the old stuff. They decided to do new elements because it’s the
future. Contrary to Hambuechen, who has worked many, many years with the same
routines. He doesn’t make mistakes! The American girls didn’t show anything
new. They win with a very pragmatic approach. In women’s gymnastics only Russia
and China bet on experimenting. The Chinese competed with a new team at the
beginning of the Olympic quad. Their athletes fell and made mistakes, but
smiled because they did not have the responsibility of winning medals. In our
country people don’t understand …
– There’s
something else people don’t understand. Mustafina herself stated she loses to
the Americans on vault only. Why is she third in the AA?
– Yes, only one
event, but it gives a substantial gap … Although I can't find the difference
of 0.5 between Aliya and Kyla Ross's vault scores. Simone Biles, for instance,
performs an Amanar, but both Ross and Aliya perform a double twisting Yurchenko. I didn’t see such a
difference between their vaults! It is as if Aliya had performed a one and a half twisting vault. In Rotterdam, we were better than the
Americans on vault. This difference on vault means the same as four
super difficult elements on bars. Mustafina worked on her Shaposhnikova with a
full turn on bars for six months. Only one element, and you need four …
– The next
question is difficult. Simone Biles and Anna Rodionova are both 17. They
competed in their first World Championships. Biles won gold. We praise Anna Rodionova who
finished 16th. There is a difference in ambition and mentality. Why is it so?
– Biles was in
the group training for the Olympics. We cannot compare her with Rodionova. We
hadn’t planned to have Rodionova perform in the all around. Afanasyeva underwent
surgery, Grishina had back pain, Komova had meningitis and in Antwerp Nabieva
fell on her head. We should pay attention to the colour of the faces of the
vault finalists. Isn’t it like in athletics? Four out of eight are
African American. And this is only the beginning … We work with Anna on something
that Biles has got from nature. Don’t forget that in the US 60,000 people train
gymnastics. In Russia - 1,000.
– Will
there be a total domination of the African American group?
– On vault and
floor, yes. But on bars and beam, the situation is different, of course.
– Аnd in the All Around? Douglas
is the Olympic champion; Simone Biles is the world champion.
– I would like to
point out that when we analyze the confrontation between the US and Russia, we are comparing something
that cannot be compared. We have never competed with them at our best level. The
Americans have achieved this thanks to a large reserve. Viktoria Komova competed at the
Olympics, but not at her top level. She was then growing very fast. Not in days,
but in hours, like in Russian fairy tales! The Americans have left behind this
growth period: African Americans have this earlier. Yet, coming back to Rodionova,
she is a very beautiful girl, she has a lot of potential, and we will work to uncover and realise it.
She is strong emotionally. She doesn’t freak out after her mistakes. Rodionova
fell and continued as if nothing had happened. By the way, she learned her beam
dismount two weeks before leaving for Antwerp!
– Do you
know what went wrong with Denis Ablyazin in Antwerp? Why didn’t he make any
final?
– Once I went to
high jumper Valeri Brumel’s training. Valeri had the best jump, but before
jumping he ran 1,200 meters, jumped again and ran 1,200 meters again. Then he
worked on technique. Ablyazin needs a similar approach. When he has so much
energy, he doesn’t know to handle it. When he goes onto the podium, he says: 'Now I will do everything right!'
– Are you
sceptical about meditation?
– A Chinese
doctor is working with our team. He uses meditation with the gymnasts, talks
over their problems. He is like a psychotherapist. This doctor has been in
India, in Pakistan, in the Tibet monasteries. In Russia Chinese doctors are not
legalized! He uses herbs that are difficult to import. We haven’t got the order
we made for the London Olympics. Everything is still at Customs …
No, I don't think this is racist. He is just stating facts and there's nothing wrong with that. So afroamericans have muscles that allowed them to power tumble with more facility than caucasians. Why is this a cause of controversy? Black people can also run faster than white people, this is why we don't see whites in the olympic final of the 100 meters; black people dominate this event.
ReplyDeleteWe found another example in swimming: most olympic swimmers have Marfans' signs, which means his limbs are long and they have thin and long fingers that allow them to swim better. Yet no one talks of discrimination if you point this out.
Many artistic and rhythmic gymnasts have Ehler-Danlos Syndrome, meaning that they have joint hypermobility, so it's easier for them to hit their leaps or touch their head with their feet in the switch ring. Does this mean people without this condition cannot perform gymnastics? And are we discriminating them? Of course not; it only means this people are better suited for this part of the sport (not the tumble) - This is why Rodionenko claims that USA dominates the tumbling, but not bars and beam.
In horseback riding, you won't see tall riders because they slow down the horse. So tall people cannot be competitive in this sport; again, no discrimination here, just a fact.
To sum up: there are certain phenotypes, whether racial or syndromic, that are more fit to perform some sports. It's a fact.
Back to Rodionenko's claims, I would say that he is very clear. Why can't Russia beat the americans? Two reasons: major pool of athletes, and black, powerful, athletes. Fact and fact.
A different thing is what Ferlito said. She said black athletes were winning medals for the mere fact of being black. Which is certainly not the same thing that saying black people are better in tumbling.
"To sum up: there are certain phenotypes, whether racial or syndromic, that are more fit to perform some sports. It's a fact."
DeleteWhile I agree that certain physical traits can benefit you or hinder you in certain sports, I am not aware of any study that shows black people have certain physical traits that allows them to be faster, or better at tumbling.
Jeremy Wariner was a fast athlete in the 400 meter and he is not black, Liu Xiang was a fast athlete in the 110 meter hurdles and he is Asian. African runners are also very good at long distance running, not just the speed events, what physical traits help them do that? larger lungs?
If you can reference for me some scientific study that was conducted which demontrated black atheletes have certain physical traits that make them better at certain sports/activities I would appreciate it. Otherwise I think it is stupid for a coach to even mention it. You can talk about how short Simone Biles is and how that physical trait benifits her in certain ways and hinders her in other ways, but this afro-american thing is just another excuse the Russian coaches are making.
One other point, they say the Americans did nothing new, didn't Biles do a new move on floor that got named after her, a double layout with half turn at the end? Brenna Dowell had a new move proposed before she got replaced my Maroney.
saying that black people are better in tumbling is racist though. it's a generality that isn't true. there have been plenty of gymnasts of afro decent who don't necessarily excel at tumbling. in fact, the current olympic all around champion was arguably better on bars and beam than she was on the "power" events. anytime you universally declare "you're this race so it automatically makes you better at this" - that's racist. fact.
DeleteI recommend you read the linked article above on 100m sprinters to understand why Andrei's comments are considered racist.
DeleteWell, it's a medical fact that black people have more muscular mass than white people. This if, for example, why BUN/CREA values are standardized differently according to race. This are physiological differences that exist among races and certain populations, and it's what gives in part an advantage in certain sports. Again, this does not mean this is the only component of an athlete's endurances, there's also the ambient (motivation, training, nutrition, lesions, economic factors, etc.).
DeleteIn this line, I would like to suggest you take a look at this article:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1180686/ - The article findings suggest that the ACTN3 577R allele provides an advantage for power and sprint activities. 70% of Jamacains have this allele. So here, for example, you have a genetic factor that determines a physiological advantage towards some sports. I would also like to point out that genetic factors like these are why there's such a controversy with the "gene doping" (in theory, if you are able to control the expression of all the genetic factors involved, you can "create" and invincible athlete, given that he has the potential in his DNA).
Also, if you have access, I would like to suggest this article: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/305/5684/637.summary This study compares two groups: one of West africans and one of white Canadians. The study found that West africans had significantly higher amounts of "fast-twitch" muscle fiber (the kind that are responsible for short, explosive bursts of action) than white Canadians. And this type of muscular composition cannot be modified by training.
Bejan et al., explain why the world records in running tend to be set by black athletes and in swimming by white athletes. They conclude that black people have a higher center of mass that favors them in running sports and that white people have a lower center of mass that favors them in swimming. (Full text available here: http://journals.witpress.com/paperinfo.asp?pid=454).
Suminski et al. review empirical studies that indicate that aerobic capacity is lower in African Americans than Caucasians. They postulated that because genetics is a partial determinant of skeletal muscle properties, it is reasonable to assume that skeletal muscle properties vary as a function of race. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12196029)
I believe that people are oversensitive whenever a comment involving sports and race is made, and of course there are historical reasons to be. But in this new century, when medicine and genetics are so advanced, I believe we should be able to accept that there are physiological differences between us (all races) that make some populations more suited for certain sports. And there's nothing wrong with that, and also it doesn't mean that every athlete shouldn't compete to the limit of his capabilities just because it could be beaten for someone more suited for the sport. After all, there's more to sports than just physical performance.
To complement my last point, I suggest you take a look at this interview: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/08/the-urgency-and-the-challenge-of-connecting-sports-race-and-genetics/278345/ It makes some good points to think about: "One other thing that's happened organically is individualized training. Great coaches sometimes do this intuitively: They have these intuitions about genetics, in that they recognize that certain athletes are responding to certain types of training while others aren't. There's one scientist I talked to who actually takes biopsies, so that he has the muscle-fiber types of athletes—percentages of fast-twitch and slow-twitch, stuff like that—and develops training regimens for them accordingly".
I agree with your point that Russian coaches are using all this as an excuse for their failures. But a total different point is if their sayings are racist; I don't consider them to be.
Thank you Oktiabr. That is a lot of information to read through, but thank you for providing it.
DeleteYou're welcome. I hope you'll find it useful.
DeleteI think this is racist - talking about african american athletes this way. As people have pointed out - Douglas & Biles have very different body types. So do non-african americans. We are all REALLY different. We have biases and those come out in our language. If he'd said "white people are smarter than black people" people would be all up in arms. 150 years ago that wouldn't have been the case.
DeleteI also notice he commented on the hijab. No one has said anything about that being sexist or bigoted. I wear a hijab and I found that statement insulting. He speaks about women wearing the hijab as if they aren't fit to judge. That is horrible.
"I agree with your point that Russian coaches are using all this as an excuse for their failures. But a total different point is if their sayings are racist; I don't consider them to be."
DeleteBut that's why it's racist. He's implying that African Americans aren't simply good, they're just genetically predisposed to knowing how to power tumble. Which is ridiculous. Gymnasts must learn to perform acrobatics that aren't specific to any one gene expression. They must devote an amazing amount of time to routine, to style and yes, to power.
We all have genes which allow us to be able to perform certain tricks, but the average African American isn't running around doing back handsprings on their way to work. These gymnasts inherited their genetics from their parents who inherited certain genes from their parents. They didn't inherit these genes because they are black, or else every single "black" person would have every single "black" gene. 70 percent of Jamaicans may have a certain gene, but Jamaicans aren't African Americans and African Americans aren't Kenyans and Kenyans aren't South Africans. And all African Americans do not have the same genes. How can you look at Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles (both American, both black, both African American) and say they have remotely the same physique?
And what are we to think of Kyla Ross? She has African American ancestry through her father. Does she not fit into this black = power paradigm? Or is the fact that she doesn't fit into what the average person thinks of as "black" that has shielded her from these bizarre comments?
No one is mad that we have different genetics (duh, we can look at each other and notice obvious similarities and differences). People are mad because of the way the Russians (and Italians and...) are implying that these athletes are winning based on genetics, and not training.
I know this was a while ago, but tall people not being competitive in horseback riding? In racing, it's true that jockeys need to be short. But racing is not an Olympic sport.In Olympic riding (Dressage, Eventing, and Show Jumping) tall people compete just as well as short people; in fact, the ideal form for riding is relatively tall with long legs and a short torso. A short person will actually have difficulty with a taller horse. William Fox-Pitt, a British eventer, is 6'5" or 1.96 meters, and he has 3 silver medals at the Olympics, a gold and a silver at the World Equestrian Games, and has won numerous four-star events (the highest level of regular eventing). Andrew Nicholson, another accomplished eventer, is 6'0" or 1.86 meters. Mary King, the legendary British eventer, is 5'7", relatively tall for a woman. Nicola Wilson, a member of the silver medal-winning British eventing team in London, is 5'10".
DeleteIt bothers me when I see misunderstandings about my sport. Thank you.
Is he mistaking Biles for Price?
ReplyDeleteMore than likely because Biles was too young last year and was not in the group trying to make the Olympic team. Price was.
DeleteClearly. Even though they are very different other than race. Biles wasn't old enough for the Olympics, and is probably a half a foot shorter than Price for starters.
DeleteAnd here again is another point of his racism. Price and Biles are both Black, both American, that's enough for him not to be able to make the difference. That also show how quick he is also very quick to make up up excuses for his athletes when they are beaten by the Americans. I suspect the only reason why he praised the Chinese here is because they failed. Had they beaten Mustafina on bars or beam, he would be singing another tune.
DeleteI would also like to point out that plenty of gymnasts are muscular and not Black: Shawn Johnson and Aly Raisman are good examples. What does race have to do with it?
It's very irritating to hear people undermine someone's success by stating that since they're Black it's easier for them, more natural, as if they did not work as hard for their success.
Revolting!
Huang Huidan did beat Mustafina on bars though. But good point, Shawn Johnson is an excellent example of a powerful gymnast physique and race doesnt have anything to do with it.
DeleteAND Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, Alicia Sacramone... the list goes on and on.
Deleterussian gymnastics is filled with and led by petty, arguably racist, certainly uninformed, sour grapes, sore losers who blame everyone and everything under the sun for their poor quality, second rate gym they're pedaling instead of pointing their quick to point fingers back in on themselves (where the real problems lie). they are an embarrassment to the sport right now and these comments only exacerbate that.
ReplyDeletePlease could we have reasoned debate rather than name calling and unfair generalisations. What you have said here is at least as perjorative - no, more, than Rodionenko's statement.
DeleteGymnastics is forever changing and the Russian team hasn't evolved with code after code after code. They are so stuck in their ways that they still try and produce gymnasts based on what worked in the 80s, and think that because 25 years ago they were unbeatable, that they should be allowed to just show up and win.
DeleteTo Queen Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI don't know why I can't reply directly to your comment, the option doesn't appear. Yes, I did read the article you suggested on the 100 m, but I considered to be more politically correct than scientific, if you catch my point. Of course, the subject is still delicate, and if presented irresponsibly, it could lead people to believe that some races "are superior" to others, which is not true. The article states "Our subconscious assumptions about race have more than merely sporting implications", and I agree. This is why is a complex subject. Nevertheless, to acknowledge the differences between races is the only way to bridging them together.
Thanks for all your contributions Oktiabr. Sometimes the comments function on the blog is a bit clunky - I don't know why ...
DeleteThe interviewer gets Biles confused with Elizabeth Price. And gets her age wrong. If nothing else, it's completely irresponsible! Very poor journalism and Rodionenko didn't even realize it.
ReplyDeleteAll he does is complain. All they ever do is complain, that's why their program is in tatters.
I know much of this discussion is about whether his comments were racist, but I also want to comment on the Ross vs Mustafina vault score in AA.
ReplyDeleteI know he is biased as Russian coach, but Ross had better leg form in the air (Mustafina had her traditional twisted legs), Ross landed dead smack on the center line (Mustafina landed near the edge line (not sure if she got marked for out of bounds, will have to check the score). Ross did have a tiny step back as well. I am not sure if those two vaults should be 5 tenths apart but at leat 3 tenths, certainly not identical. Ross's vault was difinitively better.
Looking at Mustafina's E score in the AA on vault she received a 9.091, which is a score you don't typically see (the .091 part) unless the E references judges scores were averaged into the final score. This indicates that either the E jury or the E reference judges had E scores that were even lower than 9.091. This may be where Rodionenko is making his argument.
DeleteEven with this, I do think Ross's vault was much better than Aliya's; which is unusual as she normally does a very good DTY.
There is a lot of unhappiness about this interview, and to me what Rodionenko says is racist. I have had feedback that the choice of words 'Afro-American' is offensive to some, so I have changed it to African American.
ReplyDeleteI do think that the racist content is a result of a lack of awareness and a different set of cultural norms than in the USA and Europe. The interview was intended for a Russian audience where there are different perspectives on this. Does this fact to any extent excuse the racism inherent? Do you agree - there is no malice.
ReplyDeleteYou can see racism in this interview only if you wanna see it. After reading this article all I see is Radionenko desperately trying to save his ass. His arguments are ridiculous. He was as racist as this article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14679657 , no more.
DeleteRussians never have had black slavery, so they don't have that guilt that americans and british have. This guilt makes you uncomfortable when there's no reason for that.
I agree with cpt.Hook. If you're willing, you will see racism in almost every statement made about different racial populations.
DeleteSo I'm told that when you generalized about a racial group, that is racism.
African americans haver higher risk of developing diabetes and hypertension. So when a public policy is made to target this group and offer prevention or treatment, is this racism? Because they're assuming that if you're black you have more probabilities of developing certain diseases. Are they insulting someone by calling them "weaker" or are they offering better life quality?
In Chile, Mapuche ascendants have higher risk of developing bladder cancer than the chilean-hyspanic population, yet no one feels offended when the doctor suggest you have your gallbladder remove if you have stones and your first name is of Mapuche ascendant. Why should they? Medicine is doing them a favor; because of the acknowledgment that there are racial differences that determine the prognosis of a disease, they are offering a better life quality.
My point is no one should feel offended when we say "white people are faster swimmers", "black people are faster at 100 m", "beware of your lifestyle because you're black and are at high risk of developing hypertension at early age". Of course, I also come from a country where there was no slavery, and so we don't have the unconscious guilt, but we also don't really know what terms are considered racist (I wouldn't know if calling someone ''white" or "black" will be perceived as racism, I also don't know what the terms are if not those).
Ok, so probably what Rodionenko said didn't come out in the best way, perhaps even he didn't understand the repercussions his words would have. But I seriously think that it will be a step forward to humanity when we stop perceiving racial differences as a taboo.
On sports, race, and genetics, I suggest this article:
The Urgency—and the Challenge—of Connecting Sports, Race, and Genetics (http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/08/the-urgency-and-the-challenge-of-connecting-sports-race-and-genetics/278345/). It may change your mind in some aspects.
You really, really need to stop explaining this away and rationalizing it. You've written 3 long comments, and several shorter ones, all saying the same thing--this wasn't racism, it wasn't a big deal, people need to stop "seeing" racism in everything, blah blah blah. Your comments and your mindset are part of the problem. I suggest you stop talking and start trying to educate yourself as to why so many people have a problem with what Rodionenko said. Racism *isn't* just saying ugly epithets like the N-word--it's also ignorant generalizations like "white people are faster swimmers" (which ignores a ton of class and cultural issues which address why there are fewer black swimmers) and hand-waving away objections with glib statements like "If you're willing, you will see racism in almost every statement made about different racial populations." You need to stop trying to dominate this conversation.
DeleteOktiabr and Cpt Hook have provided a great deal of stimulus for this discussion - please try to respond to the reading suggestions if you can, and keep the questioning and discussion open. If only one good thing can come from this, let it be, eventually, an opportunity for minds to meet on this difficult subject.
DeleteIt is true that African Americans have a higher risk of hypertension and diabetes. However, the jury is still out as to the role of genetics vs. environmental factors.
DeleteAfrican Americans are more likely to live in impoverished urban areas where there is limited access to fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as lean meats and whole grains. They are more likely to shop at convenience stores and drug stores, as well as eat at fast food restaurants several times a week. (This leads to a strange phenomenon that probably exists nowhere else in the world: the poorest people are the most obese.) Is the hypertension and type 2 diabetes among the African American community a result of genes, or is it a result of poor diet? The answer is probably "yes." What role does each play in the epidemic? It's difficult to say.
I definetly agree with Oktiabr, he makes a valid point.
DeleteIn general, i-net community often reminds me mindless mod with pitchforks and torches, running everywhere they can find somebody with different views and burn them. The most passionate accusers, usually are the least tolerant people.
Regardless of whether or not Rodionenko's comments are racist, I think everyone can agree that they are inappropriate coming from someone in his position. Can he just admit that the Russian team wasn't properly prepared for these championships? Apparently not, since he is giving so many excuses. Implying that the Russians were underscored because some of the judges were Muslim women, and saying that the Americans don't do unique or difficult gymnastics was just completely classless on his part. The Russian gymnasts themselves are much more gracious, I can never imagine them saying the things Rodionenko said in this interview.
ReplyDeleteI agree. AR´s comments were inappropriate, unhappy.....and he just want to find excuses to take the responsibility off his shoulders .
DeleteAnother perfect example on why the Rodionenko's need to go. They have absolutely zero sense of perspective. It's not a good thing when the gymnasts atleast 50 years their junior, are more gracious and realistic than the two people leading the progam.
ReplyDeleteBiles has had the year Aliya had in 2010, get over it. Saying that all the black girls are stronger and more powerful is such a generalization, I just cannot. Douglas is arguably better on bars and beam than she is on the ''power events.'' Aswell as that there have been plenty of powerful gymnasts before of various types of skin color. It's time people need ot get over the fact that the sport is getting more diverse and Douglas being os powerful has little to nothing to do with the color of her skin. She works hard, trains differently than the Russians do (Boginskaya said as much in her interview) and wins because she's good. Like Maroney said; the color of a medal says nothing about the color of the skin.
And it seems like everybody except Valentina and Andrei know why Kyla outscored Aliya on vault because Kyla was actually able to keep her legs locked together.
It baffles me that these two are still there. I would go nuts with them being around
And I meant to say Biles as the girl being so powerful. In my frustration I typed Douglas. The Rodionenko's really do drive one nuts
Delete"Saying that all the black girls are stronger and more powerful is such a generalization, I just cannot."
DeleteI'm reading some of these comments with my mouth open. Wow. The gymnastics community--or at least some of the fans and coaches and athletes therein--still have a loooooong way to go.
I want to say to all of you that here no one is taking about it. If it were racist what Rodionenko said the Federation would have had to explain. Nothing has happened. In eastern Europe we are not hysterical about these comments cause we have different mindset than Americans, I don't think it was meant as offense, only noting a difference.
DeleteHi Anon, I agree with you - there are very strong differences of opinion about racism in eg the UK and Russia. Have you seen the linked article above, about racist chants and CSKA?
DeleteThis problem is arising because sport is international. There will likely be UEFA sanctions against CSKA IF the allegations are found to be true.
What surprises me is that Rodionenko, who worked in Canada for about 15 years and must be aware of the sensitivities, has run into this with his eyes open.
By the way, the FIG is an astonishingly spineless organisation - did they say anything recently about the Italian Gymnastics Federation spat?
DeleteMy worry is that Rodionenko, who is now a wounded animal, is using racism as a way of gaining public support. He has been circumspect about this in so far as the interview appears on the VTB website, and the President of the RGF is also President of VTB, a majority Government owned bank. He doesn't care if this leads to an isolation of the Russian team in gymnastics ... He is only thinking of preserving himself.
I dread to think what it will be to be Rodionenko, at the next major competition, when he meets the American team. I can almost feel for him.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI don´t think Mustafina´s result was a poor performance. Till now, I don´t understand why Kyla Ross got a better note in her routine in UB....??? I think Alyia should got the silver medal in AA and UB final.....And If somebody explains to me, I will appreciate, because Alya´s UB routine has 6.7 score, but she got only 6.5....and same in floor. I really don´t understand why she lost to Kyla.
DeleteUnhappy and again , AR wants to find excuses for the poor performance of Russia in the World Championships in Antwerp .
DeleteInstead of looking at their own faults , he invents a thousand excuses to take the responsibility off his shoulders .
If he considers that Mustafina is underscore in her vaults , I think he should say objectively , pointing data, such as jump height , position of the athlete 's body , legs in perfect position , how many deduction should be discounted for her land to one side , having stepped back, etc...
But this time, he overstepped ethical boundaries . The champion in the vault is Mckayla Maroney . Personally, I did not like Biles´ routine on the floor, she has power, she has amazing somersaults, but ..............as I almost sleep during Kyla Ross performance. I prefer to Larissa Iordache and Vanessa Ferrari .
But nobody won ou had success because he or she's black, yellow, red, white or Asian.
The genes a person may even favor it, but without the commitment to training, waivers made on behalf of the sport that every gymnast does the spirit of struggle and sacrifice are the key factors of success.
Belittle the success of others is mean and proud. AR should be more concerned with the physical preparation and training of the Russian team to worry about explaining why the current American supremacy.
In UB finals, Mustafina only had a 6.5 because she didn't do the Seitz-Pak-Chow 1/2 combo. She had a break and did a stalder to a Van Leeuwan instead. Kyla had a 6.4, which was only .1 in difficulty behind and beat her in execution. Kyla and Aliya both had little leg separations here and there, but Kyla was much more secure on her dismount. That probably made the difference. I think Kyla getting silver over Aliya in AA was obvious. She had a much cleaner vault, maybe not .5 more, but at least .3. Kyla's beam was also more solid than Aliya's in AA.
DeleteIn AA, Kyla beat Alyia, if we compare the vaults. Kyla´s routines are cleaner in vault and in the BB, I agree. But in UB finals, I can not see this break in combo Alyia.
DeleteThanks for your explanation :)
First video is Aliya in AA final where she does the combo:
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Xc7QOCIP4
You can see she does her new release up to high bar at 0:44 mark, back to low bar ar 0:46, and right back up to high bar at 0:48. That is the combo.
Event final she did not do that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbQbQR537BE
At 19:44 Aliya's routine starts, she does her new release at 20:07, back to the low bar at 20:09, but she does not go right back to the high bar, she does an extra handstand and then back up to the high bar at 20:13.
Thanks. ;)
DeleteWhat does someone have to do to be considered racist? Use the N word? But then you'd probably say it was a cultural misunderstanding. How come Rodionenko never talked about Romanian or Ukranians genetics when they were winning? I find it funny (not) that when black people don't perform in a certain arena they're considered inferior but when they do all the sudden they have a genetic advantage. For the record, Becky Downie of the UK (black) just won bars at Europeans and Kyla Ross is black as well so it looks like no medal for Russian on bars or beam either. Rodionenko would do better to fix those egg beater feet of Mustafina and get Komova some counseling for her defeatist attitude. I hope the UK kicks Russia's ass in 2016.
Delete