Skip to main content

Aliya Mustafina - 'I'm glad we didn't hit'


Speaking on the Nanning official website, Aliya Mustafina had a few words to say about the day's competition:

On being in the first Subdivision:
“That was our strategy, to go first and have it over and done with, so with the qualifications out of the way we can relax and see what other teams are going to do. It is just so much easier when you have already started; it takes the pressure off you.”

On the Russia team performance:
‘I am actually glad we did not hit it perfect today. Now we know what we need to fix and where we need to put in extra work. The team has now been exposed to actual competition; we got to test all the apparatus in real competition, so we can improve further for the finals.”

“We were not tasked with making it to the finals; we just had to do the program we'd tested during the actual competition.“

On Sunday's biggest difficulty:
“It is toughest to finish on the balance beam. The emotions tend to wear thin towards the end of the session and fatigue is catching up with you as well, while you have to be super-focused. That’s a tough call."

On her own performance:
“I am most happy I had a clean workout with no falls.”

On the pressure of being the team leader:
“I do not feel the pressure, in fact the very opposite. It gives me pleasure to help my teammates. It is much easier for me this way.”

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...

Simone and the others - results and reflections

In the end, it was as predicted : Simone and the others, with Simone's teammate, Alexandra Raisman, providing the back up.  I do not need to point out that, by definition, the Americans are scoring significantly higher marks than the rest of the field.  Congratulations to them! Aliya Mustafina finished in third place.  The 2012 bronze medalist led the competition after vault and uneven bars, but had a very nervous outing on beam that might have taken a less experienced gymnast out of the medals.  A bravura performance on floor brought Aliya back though to confirm her third place all around.  From her senior debut in 2010 to today, Mustafina has continuously set high standards of grace.    It is the first time since 2000 that a gymnast (Amanar) has medalled in the all around at two consecutive Olympics, and  if Aliya can medal on Saturday's uneven bars final, she will once again be Russia's biggest medal winner of the women's gymnastics.  Russ...

Kalmykova crowned Queen of Russia Cup

 Today - Kalmykova, Roschina, Melnikova, Glotova. An exciting and close competition.  The young women have grown through higher expectations, and it’s exciting to see the determination on their faces.  Kalmykova is now a strong competitor, Roschina is maturing and living with her routines.  Melnikova (was she recording a live vlog here?) has grown some more, become a sophisticated performer shot through with pure steel and I think some diamond, and performed beautiful gymnastics.   There is no doubt that in a different competition these three gymnasts could finish three times in different podium positions.   The ‘other’ three in the top group, Us, Glotova and Osokina all showed real enjoyment of the competition.  Let’s hope that their motivation supports them in realising more of their potential. Thanks for some fabulously entertaining competitions over the last days.  Drama, emotion, friendship, some ferocity - this is what world gymnastics needs...

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more