Skip to main content

Maria Kharenkova at the European Championships


'Veteran' junior, now first year senior, Maria is participating in her first major senior competition this week.  There are some fabulous pictures on the RGF website of her, her team mates and the coaches.

Words are one thing.  Much has been said about the participation of Mustafina, the prospects of Russia's young team in competition against the experienced Romanians, and those absent through injury.  It's clear that in medal terms, there is little pressure on this team to perform.

The pictures speak of another reality.  The tense expectations of Russia's elite have been replaced by the optimistic efforts of a new generation.  The coaches are seen to be encouraging, supporting and involved.  The team appears to be working happily.  Three members of the senior team - Mustafina, Kharenkova and Sosnitskaya - have their personal coaches here with them.  The roster of personal coaches travelling to a competition is often a measure of which gymnasts are expected to do the best.  In Sosnitskaya's case, her coach Maria Ulyankina is also responsible for junior Seda Tutkhalyan.

I have chosen to feature Maria here as she promises much as the emerging star of this Russian team.  But all the gymnasts have something special about them - the mischievous twinkle of Rodionova, Spiridinova looking happy and confident; pretty, hardworking Sosnitskaya.  Mustafina, as ever, is mesmerising.   There are lovely pictures of all the team members - pay a visit to the RGF site if you want to see them all (www.sportgymrus.ru).  I will post highlights on RRG's Facebook page also, later today.

The junior team and qualifying competition begins today.  Good luck to all the participants!




Maria with head coaches Grebyonkin and Rodionenko


With her personal coach from her hometown of Rostov on Don, Olga Sagina








Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Aliya Mustafina - 'each medal is very special'

'I'm very happy that everything turned out well today  ... Each medal is very special.  The UK team made mistakes, so there was a wide margin [of victory]... But naturally, [what I did] is not enough for the Olympics.  I prepared well for beam and bars but I am not ready for floor, I stepped up to help the team. ... To be honest, I did not look at the scores [when asked how the team reacted to the 6.5 gap before the final apparatus].  Gelya (Melnikova) is a good girl, she did everything and did not falter ... Seda fell on quite a complex element.  There is more work to do, but everything else went well.' [About a protest taken by the coaches on her beam score]. 'I am used to my protests being rejected, everything is normal!' Via vk.com I n other news , the UEG has confirmed that Spiridonova will replace Melnikova in tomorrow's bars final. No reason is given, but it is generally considered that Dasha has a better chance of gold.  This decision also means tha...

Svetlana Boginskaya: I was always a bitch* in gymnastics

Svetlana Boginskaya, 15 years old, with her medals from the Seoul Olympics Nico translates the latest interview with gymnastics legend Svetlana Boginskaya, during a recent visit to her home country of Belarus. Svetlana Boginskaya: I was always a bitch* in gymnastics, so now I ask for forgiveness from everyone who came in contact with me. The National Olympic Committee of Belarus held a press conference with three-time Olympic Champion in artistic gymnastics, Svetlana Boginskaya. The meeting was devoted to the 25th anniversary of the Olympic Games in Seoul. In South Korea the Belarussian won two gold medals in the team competition and vault. As a gift to the Olympic Hall of fame, the famous gymnast, now living in the United States, donated one of her trophies that she won at the 1990 European Championships and a pennant for Best Female Athlete of the USSR in 1989. How happy we were when we could share with such stars as Boginskaya, Scherbo, and Ivankov,...

Review of Russian WAG at the 2014 World Championships

The Russians during a team talk in training for the World Championships.  Courtesy RGF Bronze all the way for Russia then.  Beyond the euphoria and surprise of this morning's competition there doesn't really seem to be much to write home about. I am delighted for Aliya personally that the efforts she has made to help the team have provided her with some tangible result, but the principal feeling at the end of the competition is that of relief.  As Vaitsekhovskaya said in her article last week, there were no moments of shock and awe from the Russians, and that's what will be needed if they are to compete for gold medals in Rio (translation available here ). Let's consider a timeline of the competition : before, during and after. BEFORE The promise of a return to the Worlds stage by Viktoria Komova gave Russia a feeling of optimism pre-Russia Cup.  However, Viktoria's performance at this important competition gave little reason for celebra...

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more