Mustafina before the 2011 ACL injury, and after, are two different gymnasts. Remarkably, in 2012 the World Champion overcame herself to the extent that she was the leading gymnastics medal-winner at the London Olympics. In 2013 and 2014 she somehow managed to be the whole all around package, with gradually reduced routines that eventually, by this autumn, had little acrobatic content. All by herself, she showed the world what a gymnast really is: not just a trickster but someone whose quality of movement transcends competence and/or extreme bounciness and becomes a whole vehicle for expression. Only a Russian could master the mental contortions it took to make the massive transformation necessary to remain competitive at below full capacity, to make a paradigm shift and fight acrobatics with artistry. Only the daughter of a Tartar wrestler could muster the sheer mystical grit to deliver a perfect fight exactly at the moment needed. But even Mustafina is human. She has managed to conceal the weight of her earthly limitations to this point, but last week looked not just in pain, but defeated. Announcements regarding her back injury are now revealing the full extent of her problems.
Remarkably, the majority of Aliya's progress since the early part of 2013 has been made without a coach. When her personal coach, Alexandrov, left for Brazil, there was no rush to appoint a successor. Raisa Ganina, Aliya's choreographer since childhood, covered as best she could and her influence explains the strides that Mustafina has made in floor choreography and on beam this past 18 months. But Ganina is not a coach, nor a master strategist. She can't help her charge on bars and vault, and in tumbling. Mustafina needs more discipline, more conditioning and more technical and strategic support if she is to realise her immense potential. Both she and Alexandrov said this in their recent interviews, and Alexandrov has been saying it since early 2013.
It is difficult to understand why, in over 18 months, no personal coach has been appointed to help Russia's leading medal contender in artistic gymnastics. Still more difficult to grasp why on earth the national coaches (in particular Stolyar, Ivanov and Grebyonkin) can't help her with her fitness training, competition strategy and upgrades. Mustafina is said to be temperamental and difficult. But these are high level coaches whose job it is to deal with difficult people. Furthermore, someone, somewhere must be approving the state of neglect that has prevailed these past two years. Who, for example, is signing off her visa applications and approving her (non-existent?) training and competition plans?
It is abundantly clear that Aliya is now suffering the physical effects of too rapid rehab from her knee and then ankle injury, and now her back. Her results accelerated to 2012, then reduced with every competition to the present time. With all the problems of training, strategy and moral support that she herself highlighted in her most recent interview with Elena Vaitsekhovskaya, and now this back problem, which has been ongoing for years but which has become intolerable, I cannot say that I believe that she will make it back to full fitness any time soon, if ever.
It is agony to watch such a proud fighter go into decline. It is a tragic waste of talent, a crime against gymnastics, and a heavy loss for Russian sport. Those who are allowing it to happen should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.
With thanks to Anna on VK who kindly made this summary of my article in Russian:
Если совсем вкратце:
Мустафина великая спортсменка, но последняя новость о травме спины открыла всю глубину проблемы. На последних соревнованиях она выглядел очень больной.
С уходом Александрова она осталась без тренера. Алия и Раиса Ганина проделали великолепную работу на бревне и на вольных. Но они обе говорили в интервью, что большего, как хореограф, Раиса ей дать не может.
Трудно объяснить почему спортсменка такого калибра не дали личного тренера. Еще труднее объяснить, почему старшие тренеры не занимаются ее общей физической подготовкой, соревновательной стратегией и усложнением комбинаций. Всем известно, что у Мустафиной нелегкий характер. Но разве это не входит в обязанности руководства сборной уметь работать со спортсменами, у которых сложный характер.
Ведь кто-то же подписывает ее документы на визы для загран поездок. Кто-то же утверждает эти несуществующие планы тренировок и выступлений.
Автор, также упоминает последнее интервью Алии с Еленой Вайцеховской в которой упоминались все эти сложности. Проблемы с тренировочным процессом, планами подготовки, моральной поддержкой, а теперь вот еще и травма спины-все это вместе может оказаться невыносимым, и, возможно мы по теряем такую спортсменку.
Как-то так... Очень невеселая статья. Но трудно не согласиться. Хотя я очень надеюсь на лучшее. Здоровья Алие.
"It is agony to watch such a proud fighter go into decline. It is a tragic waste of talent, a crime against gymnastics, and a heavy loss for Russian sport. Those who are allowing it to happen should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves".
ReplyDeleteIt is all I think about Aliya. Too sad. :( Maybe, she comes back, but I am not hopefull.
Oh she's definitely going to come back, in what shape is the question
DeleteI completely Agree, I really hope that she can get over this but she has progressively been getting worse since the Olympics. In 2013 I figured she wasn't in tip top shape simply because it was the post olympic year and so their was 1) no need to be the best shape of her life and 2) she was clearly overworked that season and had a lot of illness. I figured 2014 would be a lot better for her since she actually did get a pretty long break at the beginning of the year however, she has gotten worse by every competition and this last meet was just so awful for her. 2 falls in the same competition with relatively simple routines (for a gymnast of her caliber). I honestly feel so sorry for her, she has so much potential and was coming back strong but she isn't getting the help she needs back at home. I hope that she can come back from this because I know she is a fighter and I believe that she can hold on till Rio. Maybe not gold but she can still sneak in medals here and there.
ReplyDeleteI hope the Russian coaches help her out because the head coaches should be qualified enough to coach her tumbling, vaulting and UB. There is just no way that they can't help her. I have never heard of a case where a federation isn't supporting their number 1 athlete. In fact, it's only natural for the coaches to spend more time with their best athletes since they have the greatest chances at medaling at major events. Some how, someway, the incompetent gymnastic system in Russia apparently doesn't think that way. What's going through their heads? if Aliya is gone, their chances at Team medals at worlds is gone. Their AA hopes are gone. Infact, their medal chances at worlds as a whole are completely gone. In this past 2 years; If you take Aliya out of the picture, Russia would have won ONE medal in 2 years and it's not even a gold, it's a bronze from Daria this year. That has to represent one of the lowest point that the women's team has ever experienced in history. You put Aliya in the picture and that 1 goes up to 7 (3 from her in 2013, 3 this year plus Daria's). Their is big difference between 1 medal and 7 medals. Aliya is their sole medal worthy gymnast and they treat her like if she were insignificant. At this rate Valentina Rodionenko is going to have to jump and maybe swing bars and preform on floor; If she doesn't want that, she should use her big mouth to persuade the coaches to help Aliya out.
Sorry for the rant but I am just so mad that they aren't giving this athlete the minimal level of support that every athlete needs; a coach which shouldn't even be an option but a must!
"Sorry for the rant but I am just so mad that they aren't giving this athlete the minimal level of support that every athlete needs; a coach which shouldn't even be an option but a must!"
DeleteI agree if "They" mean Russian Federation and Rodienkos.
I will support Aliya always and forever.
My hopeless is about "They", do u understand?
Yes, by they I meant the Rodienkos and the Russian gymnastics Federation.
DeleteSame here, an athlete with her perseverance and supporting demeanor to her fellow teammates will always have my support
It's sad Aliya has to be a victim of their f.cked up program. She is far too talented to be so neglected and overworked at the same time. It must be hard for Alexandrov to watch aswell.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of this article, except this part : "too rapid rehab from her knee".
ReplyDeleteIf anything seems obvious here, it is that since 2011 the Russian Federation's communication has always been strongly based on the fact that they were following strictly the doctors instructions about Mustafina's rehab, and never pushed her to go back to full training and to competition too early.
In fact they have been insisting so much about their attention to her health that I think that it would be the last thing they want to lie about.
So if you say that they lied about that, then I think you need to show some proofs about it.
I don't understand your post.
DeleteNowhere in this blog does it say anywhere that the RGF has lied.
I can't really comment further as your post is so obviously based on a misunderstanding, and demands proof of an allegation that doesn't exist.
In fact, I have read some statements attributed to Russian Gymnastics Federation in Tumblr and they do not seem to be enjoying so many injuries, poor results and criticism of important people within the "world" of the Russian gymnastics.
DeleteI do not know if the tactics and the political patronage of Rodienkos able to hold them in their posts.
I am familiar with politics in countries "on the rise". What politicians fear most is a dissatisfied people. And gymnastics is a popular sport in Russia, so that gives me what to think. (The Russian people celebrated Nastia Liukin medal !!!)
Is it a statement of Russian Federation? Or is somebody else saying (the ugly truth)?
Delete“It is difficult to understand why, in over 18 months, no personal coach has been appointed to help Russia’s leading medal contender in artistic gymnastics. Still more difficult to grasp why on earth the national coaches (in particular Stolyar, Ivanov and Grebyonkin) can’t help her with her fitness training, competition strategy and upgrades. Mustafina is said to be temperamental and difficult. But these are high level coaches whose job it is to deal with difficult people.”
Hi Glaucia, could you provide a link to the source please?
DeleteIt is in Tumblr aly126. I only realized that she copied what you wrote now. The "owner" of the blog cites as RRG source. Sorry.Sorry for the misunderstanding.
DeleteI was very impulsive. I wish that notice were true. But, as I said before, "they (Russian Federation and Rods)" makes me very pessimistic.
I don't know if Mustafina is a victim. There are other victims of the fight between coaches. Think of Grishina!
ReplyDeleteLook at her routines in 2009-2010. What a shame!