Skip to main content

'It's difficult to be a God' - documentary on Yuri Ryazanov (c. 2004)

By

The RGF has just published this half hour documentary on its YouTube channel - http://youtu.be/x9euD-9hLdk

Shot in about 2004, it charts the struggles of a young boy - Yuri Ryazanov - as he progresses in his gymnastics career, aspiring to sporting achievements of the highest level, as exemplified in this film by the gymnastics 'God' Alexei Nemov.

Black and white film enhances the intense atmosphere of the training and competition hall and there are some stunning close up shots of the haunting face of young Ryazanov.  Set in a background of  social and economic trauma as Russia finds its feet in the post-Soviet years, we understand that Yuri's life is one of order and discipline compared to the somewhat distressed community he sees around him in the centre of his home town, the city of Vladimir.  Pictures of a confident Nemov in training, and on the cover of 'Men's Fitness' magazine, lead us to suppose that sport provides the possibility of a better life.

If only young Yuri and his fellow athletes, including Dmitri Gogotov, can stay on the straight and narrow and endure the training necessary to make it to the top and be a 'God' like Nemov before him.

The film ends as we see Yuri compete in a national competition, wearing a T shirt for Russia, alongside his coach, Igor Kalabushkin.  

Yuri with his coach, Igor Kalabushkin

We remember Yuri for his great technical gymnastics, a style reminiscent of his hometown predecessor, 1988 Olympic Champion Vladimir Artemov.  Yuri too had 'Olympics' written all over him and would no doubt have impressed in 2012 had he had the chance.  He was a credit to the Vladimir School of Gymnastics, who nurtured him all the way to a bronze medal in the All Around at the 2009 World Championships in London.  

Sadly, only a few days after his greatest victory, Yuri lost his life in a car accident, on his way home.  This documentary helps us to remember the gymnast and the man.  Yuri Ryazanov, ambitious, hard-working, prodigiously talented and forever young.  

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Svetlana Boginskaya: I was always a bitch* in gymnastics

By
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,...
14 comments
Read more

Rodionenko responds

By
Rodionenko about Melnikova’s words about the level of gymnastics in Russia: “Such comments are not from a great mind. I don’t think Angelina has the right to judge.” The coach criticized Angelina Melnikova for her words about the level of Russian gymnastics. Earlier, Olympic champion Melnikova said: “In Russia there are two or three gymnasts who can qualify for the level of the European and World Championships, the rest cannot. The level of competition in Russia is also low.” “I am skeptical about her comment. I don’t think that Angelina has the right to judge the state of gymnastics in Russia and talk about who can qualify for prizes. We have enough competition, it is no coincidence that Angelina was only third at the Russian Cup. Such comments are not from a great mind. We are Olympic champions in team competitions. Not individually, but as a team! This is a special victory and it says a lot. That’s all,” said senior coach of the Russian artistic gymnastics team Valentina Rodionenko....
4 comments
Read more

Tatyana Nabiyeva on work and love in China

By
Some highlights from a long interview with 2010 World champion Tatyana Nabiyeva.  Source: Russian team page on VK.com.  Translation - Google translate A big interview with Tatyana Nabieva about the peculiarities of work and life in China, the bright years of her sports career, a little about modern gymnastics and about love. On the Nabiyeva flight — At the same championship, you presented a new element on the bars, which was later added to the rules with your last name (flying over the top bar with a straight body, difficulty group F. — Sport24). How did you come up with the idea to try something new? — Actually, it happened spontaneously, I think. We worked with Vera Iosifovna [Kiryashova] on the purity of the elements on the bars, sometimes I didn’t fly all the way to the Shaposhnikova element. Once I didn’t fly all the way to the bars either and stood on my feet between the bars, bending my legs in flight for safety. Then Vera Iosifovna said that this was a different eleme...
Post a Comment
Read more

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more