Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

  This great video of Aliya Mustafina was transmitted by Transworld Sport just before the Antwerp World Championships.  'She is a gymnast with a capital 'G', says coach Raisa Ganina.  Ksenia Afanasyeva also features. http://youtu.be/LGaVK-3fM80

100 Rouble note showing image of the Fisht Stadium I remember London at the time of the Olympics, and how a great sense of excitement overcame the capital city.  During the Opening Ceremony, as the Olympic circles rose over the Stadium, London and Britain became focussed on sport and on welcoming an international audience to its Games.  The Games, and its attendant cultural activities, gave us a sense of our national pride.  In London at least, people were walking around with smiles on their faces. In Sochi, Russia, as the dramas of the Winter Olympic Games unfurl, I am hoping that the same feelings are shared.  The Opening Ceremony filled me with optimism that Russia may find a way of celebrating its national identity and of unifying the diverse characteristics that are a result of its turbulent history, multiple ethnicities and vast geography.  These Games give Russia the opportunity to emphasise its unrivalled artistic and sporting heritage and hence h...

Olga Mostepanova coaches a youngster a few days ago, at Moscow's historic Dynamo club Russian bank VTB, important sponsors of Russian gymnastics, features a photo opportunity on its website today about Moscow Dynamo, highlighting the skill of its coaches, the accomplishments of its great gymnasts, and the sport's secure future as part of its massive redevelopment of the Dynamo stadium. You will remember that back in July last year, RRG featured a story on Dynamo's great history, highlighting the Club's uncertain future as it made a move out of its traditional home to make way for the massive VTB Park development which will house multiple sporting facilities as part of efforts to build social and economic infrastructure.  The VTB Arena is expected to be the focus venue for the 2018 Football World Cup, so you will become familiar with this facility then, if not before!  Dynamo Gymnastics' future was in some doubt at that time as no promises could be made as to the reh...

First year senior Maria Kharenkova is being considered for this year's European Championships The provisional roster for March's Cottbus Turnier der Meister has now been published, including significant teams for both MAG and WAG from the Russian Federation. For the women, it is an opportunity to give the developing gymnasts some competition practice before the big events of the year - Europeans, and World Championships.  Of particular interest is the inclusion of first year senior Maria Kharenkova, who is expected to fight for a place on the European Championships team.  Kharenkova has particular talents on beam and on floor and is considered by many to be an exciting prospect.  This year will prove whether she has the potential to become an 'A' lister for the Russian national team. The Russians have slated teams 'in force' for this competition, including some of the top tried and tested gymnasts on the men's side.  As ever, it remains to be seen ...

Via Tass and the RGF, Valentina Rodionenko has now confirmed that multiple Olympic, World, Universiade and European gold medallist Aliya Mustafina was granted a short break during January 2014 and will return to training in February. 'Aliya is a student and has exams', said Rodionenko, 'we allowed her to devote the whole of January to herself'.   Rodionenko acknowledged that Mustafina had worked throughout the whole of the post-Olympic year.

Personal and national coaches working together : Ksenia Afansyeva's personal coach, Marina Nazarova, celebrates with  Russia's successful women's team at the London Olympics, with bars coach (now team coach)  Evgeny Grebyonkin The RGF has published its full team list again.  It has already been released once, and you can find a review of the gymnasts of the senior men's and women's teams here . For now, however, I wanted to publish in English the list of the national coaches of the senior team.  I will look at the coaches of the junior and youth teams in another post. This list is clearly an official document, bearing the stamp of the RGF and the signatures of several dignitaries, Andrei Rodionenko included, but it most likely will change over the coming months.  It may well be produced more for administrative purposes than for public consumption, so read with caution.  There is some meaty information all the same.  What may be of note is that...