Skip to main content

Larissa Latynina - Russian gymnastics and perestroika

By



Olympic legend Larissa Latynina has been reflecting on Russian gymnastics in an interview with Pravda, and I am summarising below a paraphrased version of what she has said.

Interesting that Russia is now beginning to reflect on the brain drain and loss of investment dating back to the 1990s and early 2000s and that is now affecting their competitive results.  There is also a fascinating article on the mass exodus of coaches, including interviews with Valery Belenkyi, Vladimir Vatkin, Andrei Popov and Alexander Alexandrov.   I am hoping to have it translated for you in the coming weeks.  

In the meantime, Larissa's words reflect so much of what has been covered in this blog over the last year.  Someone of her profile and significance speaking openly on this subject in the Russian press must show that her country is beginning to consider the loss, and perhaps the measures necessary for a recovery - if desired.

"You know, I want to tell you that we lost a lot during the period of re-adjustment ('perestroika').  We lost some of the coaching staff - the border opened, and people realized that that they can travel, and they do.  There were people over there who earned a lot more than we did.

So it is no wonder that now our coaches work all over the world.  Their teaching was better.   We had a great specialists, and we had a lot of children's sports schools. But when all the coaches began to disperse, there was nobody to work here, schools were closed, gymnastics sections in clubs were closed - Dynamo, CSKA Moscow, the trade unions, it all went.  Now it is not surprising that, while earlier in the championship of the Soviet Union we had about 150 people competing, now we have more like 24.  Not really enough to choose from.  That's scary. 

And I think that now, in the last few years, the Gymnastics Federation has very seriously paid attention to the development of sport, to the development of children's sports schools.  Thankfully, the head of the RGF is also President of VTB, which means there is money.  Because right now, in this life, as they say, just taking a step without money is impossible."
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We are satisfied - Aliya Mustafina

By
Photo credit: RGF An Allsport interview today with Aliya Mustafina : http://www.allsportinfo.ru/index.php?id=83075 'I think that we are to be congratulated on this bronze medal, we are more satisfied than frustrated', said Aliya Mustafina. 'We were a new team, all the girls are young, and it's their first time in such a serious competition.  I think today we performed to the best of our ability.  Yes, we have had two falls today - on the uneven bars and balance beam.' 'The young girls failed  psychologically, but  the first time you compete on the senior podium - it's not very easy.  No  one is sad.  I  am very pleased with such a performance.  Everything  was fair enough, maybe not everywhere and in all things, but overall it was quite as expected, both our rivals, and the judging.' 'I began to experience more pain in the ankle - continued Aliya Mustafina. - To do the dismounts I had to muster all my strength and clench my teeth.  ...
21 comments
Read more

Elena Gerasimova retires, invited to coach junior national team

By
Valentina Rodionenko speaks to TASS.  Google translate - Tokyo Olympic participant Elena Gerasimova has decided to end her career in the Russian national artistic gymnastics team. This was reported to TASS by the senior coach of the national team Valentina Rodionenko. "Lena Gerasimova has decided to end her sports career, but she wants to continue competing in student competitions," Rodionenko said. "The athlete has been plagued by injuries in recent years, which made it very difficult for her to endure the training loads that the members of the national team experience. Gerasimova is a very honest and very responsible person. That's why she came and said that she wants to end her career and compete only in student competitions." "I know how responsible and hardworking this girl is, so we suggested that she think about becoming a coach of the youth team on one of the apparatuses in the future. We will count on her. And now she works as a coach at the Anton ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listunova interview

By
 Google translate from VK.com -  Match TV talked to Victoria Listunova about the Olympic summer without participating in the Games, recovery, and memories of Tokyo three years later. We are copying several fragments, and the full interview is available on the Match TV website ❓ Victoria, how are you feeling? How was your recovery from the injury? Was it an old problem or some kind of force majeure? 💬 The injury may have been cumulative, it was not immediately revealed, I am now trying to train in the same volume as before. I am restoring my program. It took a long time for rehabilitation. From April until mid-summer, I was completely without loads, so that the injury would heal and never bother me again. But it is not like I was resting all summer. I was constantly present at the training camps, went through all the recovery procedures. At first there was complete rest, then I trained as much as possible without pain. So there were trainings, but in a minimal mode. In the sum...
Post a Comment
Read more

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more