Veteran Katya Kramarenko is working on an individual programme of training following her hospitalisation with pancreatitis earlier this year.
Ekaterina Kramarenko is still recovering from the serious illness she suffered earlier this year. There is still a long way to go, judging by Natalia's reaction, but she says that if every gymnast showed as much commitment as Katya, nobody would be able to beat the Russians!
Tanya Nabiyeva is at camp, and Natalia had a short chat with her. Tanya is preparing for the Russia Cup, and was invited to train at Krugloye as the team needed her. She doesn't know if it was necessarily the right thing, but time will tell. Tanya is very much enjoying working as a coach (back home in St Petersburg). For both Katya and Tanya, the results of the Russia Cup will help decide the next steps.
As ever there is a problem with strength in depth; the quality of the work that gymnasts are producing is good, but there are simply too few gymnasts on the national team. Afanasyeva is still in recovery and has only just started back at her training again. Komova and Mustafina have both been treated and are recovered (although a separate interview with Komova, kindly translated by Nico Jackson on Gymfever, reveals that Komova has experienced some frustration in getting back her first combination on bars, and has only just begun training beam in the last days. Since all national team members need at least two events to qualify for Worlds, it is hard to be optimistic about her prospects for Nanning). Shelgunova is still being treated for an injury. All the rest of the team are OK, apart from a few of the usual aches and pains. (Natalia does not mention Anastasia Grishina, and my understanding is that Nastia is still recovering at home.)
There is little prospect of a solution to this problem during this Olympic cycle. A discussion with head WAG coach Evgeny Grebyonkin suggests there are problems with the systems of bonuses paid to coaches, and the criteria to qualify as a Master of Sport.
There is an update on the men. Natalia saw Kuksenkov, Ablyazin, Belyavski and Petrov in training, and alongside them juniors Ivan Stretovich and Artur Dalolyan, who will progress to senior level next year. Emin Garibov, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, will target a return to competition in 2015.
In other news, Nico (alias Papa Liukin) has started a much needed blog on men's gymnastics, entitled The Liukin. It is recommended reading! Nico has a post on the men's roster for the Russia Cup here : http://theliukin.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/russian-cup-roster-other-goodies/ The competition begins on the 26th August.
A couple more updates, with thanks to Natalia.
ReplyDeleteGrishina is training in her home gym, CSKA, but the prospects of her return to the national team are unknown. At present, it seems unlikely.
Shelgunova is still recovering from injury, likely to return to training in autumn if things go well.
That makes me incredibly sad. Especially because other than Rodionova, I think a lot of the newer seniors and soon-to-turn seniors lack the poise and elegance of Grishina. I'd love to see her on floor again. I'd really like Chemaryeva on floor again but that's never going to happen :(
DeleteI wonder how is Paseka doing........i d love to see her bars
ReplyDeleteNo news about Maria, but then I think Natalia is only reporting where there is something special to say. I know she is at camp.
DeleteAnybody have the translation of Komova's interview? I had a hard time hearing it on my computer for some reason, just heard stuff here and there, like she says she'll only do bars at the Cup of Russia and that she believes she'll be able to return to greatness again bit by bit, step by step. I think she did lose 2 or 3 tenths on bars after the new code was ratified? But if she puts back in that difficult dismount and adds whatever element she mentioned in the interview on bars, which she says would give her a max. of 2 tenths, then she should be right back up there with a 7.0 or so on bars. She already had a 6.5 at Nationals without the double double if I'm not mistaken? She certainly looks like she has the height to regain that difficult dismount. And she only started doing acrobatics on the beam that very day of the interview!
DeleteNot terribly good news when you factor in the need for her to be ready to compete two pieces in Nanning ... I didn't get the impression she has much desire, the whole tone of the interview was very downbeat.
ReplyDeleteThere is a translation of the whole thing on Gymfever, as I mentioned.
Can you link the page of the translation? When I search for gymfever the site hasn't been updated since Euros.
DeleteGymfever is definitely more up to date! I can't link as it is a closed group - and there was nothing in this interview that isn't covered here or in the more recent post anyway.
DeleteWhat about Sidorova?
ReplyDeleteJohn
She isn't on the national team. I doubt we will see her compete internationally again.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Anna Dementyeva?
ReplyDeleteShe retired some time ago. As far as I know, she is married and living in her hometown of Samara.
ReplyDeleteAs usual no strength in depth. I wonder how many juniors Russia has that will turn seniors in the next 1 -2 years. They need depth! When the others finally leave, who will they ha
ReplyDeleteAre they any qualifying competition for gymnasts to Nanning? Like the qualification to the olympics? If so, how does it work? (sorry I'm a bit new to the sport)
ReplyDeleteSo...does it imply that Tanya Nabiyeva is not gonna retire?
ReplyDeleteI think it means she will wait and see how the training goes. She will compete at a Russia Cup, all being well.
ReplyDelete