It was almost a symbol of the contemporary struggle for the identity of gymnastics. First, we saw Britain's Claudia Fragapane, completing with verve and energy the powerful tricks and tumbling that gained the diminutive gymnast the title 'Pocket Rocket'. Next, we saw the elegant line and gravity defying artistry of the regal Ksenia Afanasyeva, graceful in both her gymnastics and her manner. They were both compelling, but only one gymnast showed the purity and harmony that was once de rigeur in the sport, and that has frequently elevated artistic gymnastics above a form of energetic, cheerleading contortionism. Thankfully, at least, the judges recognised the differences in what they were seeing. Just. Finally, as the last performer of the day, the 23 year old Afanasyeva was crowned Europe's Floor Queen once more, repeating the award she won two years ago in Moscow. She was delighted, danced a little jig, and threw herself into the fatherly embrace of Dr Timonkin, Russia's team doctor for many years, who has helped his gymnasts through so many turbulent times.
Afanasyeva's posture, lift and expression has always been unquestionable; today it was added to with a serene determination. Almost perfect in all but one skill - her triple twist, in which she took half a step backwards - Russia's returning champion quietly asserted her right to gold with a comeback performance that all but matched her gold medal winning routine at the 2011 World Championships. Choreography and expression is less about performing tricky gimmicks with a brash smile than it is about rising above the difficulty to perform an exercise that is a consummate whole. Afanasyeva's bearing told the whole story here; simple dance only emphasises the unique quality of movement that stems from having trained in the classical tradition from day one of her career, now some nineteen years ago. She will never lose that shine.
With this medal Afanasyeva became Russia's biggest medal winner at these Championships, her gold complemented by a bronze on vault (where she presented a surprise Amanar). This surely cements her candidacy for a place on the Russian team at Worlds in Glasgow this autumn, provided she can remain in good health.
Congratulations to all the team - every single gymnast took a medal.
Maria Kharenkova - silver all around
Maria Paseka - gold in vault with another surprise Amanar, and a rather messy Cheng ('She is a lucky gymnast', said head coach Andrei Rodionenko, 'She wasn't even in the line up for the team, flew out the night before qualifications, then got a gold in finals.'. I am not sure if this bodes well or otherwise for the pretty Muscovite, when it comes to selection for Worlds ...)
Daria Spiridinova - gold on bars with a beautiful routine.
Commiserations to young Kharenkova for her mishap on beam today - so near, and yet so far. Maria fell on the layout back somersault that is a highlight of her fast paced work, then missed out her required leap series, losing what otherwise would have been a clear gold for her. It's all grist to the mill, though. Maria will learn from her mistake and come back next time, stronger. Coach Olga Sagina will help her along the way.
So Romania's Andreea Munteanu gave her country's system a boost when she won a relatively unexpected gold. This left the gold medal summary at event finals looking as if there had been a time warp - Russia, Russia, Romania, Russia.
But the big gold, the one they all wanted, went to Switzerland's Giulia Steingrueber - I wonder who will win it next year?
You will find all of the results here - http://www.longinestiming.com/Competition?id=00000E0000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF&sport=GA&year=2015a
Video of Ksenia on floor - http://youtu.be/UjYa-GcEsic
I still asking what the hell Fragapane does on the floor mat part of her routine? On the front angle makes a little bit more of sense, but on the back it looks like she is having an attack lol
ReplyDeleteOne of the tricks she does is apparently supposed to be a full twisting butterfly - she might submit it as a new move at he next Worlds.
ReplyDeleteBut honestly, the original non twisting butterfly was such a pretty, flighty, move ... Light like a butterfly. I would describe it as being more like a dying bee.
That floor was everything! She performed beautifully; I was so nervous for her. I am so happy for her! And her Amanar wasn't bad. She should be so proud.
ReplyDeleteRussiafan!
There wont be any AA competition next year as next year is team and EF only but there's usually an "unofficial" winner based on qualifications if I remember correctly.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy Ksenias floor routine very much; she deserved gold. I did also enjoy Fragapanes routine. It is different for sure, she has her own form of artistry, almost a hip-hop break dance style. It is still artistry, just not ballet. She does more break dance moves than I think she should, but I did enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteTodd
No, stop calling it hip-hop and break dance. She can't even do a basic arm movement that you will see in old popping 80's videos. The music doesn't even fit since is "Rio fiesta" and is not like she does Latin or Samba unless you consider the beginning of her routine to be that.
DeleteYes, "ballet" doesn't have to be the only dance, but we can't really start calling cheer-leading and aerobic like routines as hip-hop or something else.
It's not important how the movement style is categorically labeled. Does "hip hop" need a strict definition? Does Claudia's movement express the music well? Does it engage the audience? that is how her routine should be judged.
DeleteAgreed.
DeleteTodd
"Does "hip hop" need a strict definition?" Again, are we going to start calling everything hip-hop? I don't see how her routine even gets close to that. The very desperate term American fans have come out with, "popish" (as in pop music dance) would actually fit here. It is a very bad wannabe form of hip-hop that pop group "singers" and "dancers" do in their performance, but I wouldn't call it the real thing or almost close to it.
DeleteI have a question about Ksenia leap series, she does a split leap (A) + 1.5 split leap (D) + 1/2 split leap (B). Why does she connect the 1.5 split leap to the 1/2 split leap if it doesn't get connection points? The split leap to 1.5 split leap satisfies the jump requirements, so I am just wondering why she does the extra 1/2 split leap. Anyone know?
ReplyDeleteRussiafan
This has become a more popular trend recently. I think it serves two purposes.
Delete1. A Gogean leap (1.5 split leap) Is hard to control upon landing, which is a deduction. If a gymnast has the flexibility and form to split jump out perfectly, like Afan, this might increase her E score. It's also aesthetically pleasing.
2. The Gogean leap is also hard to fully rotate, and most gymnasts only get 1.4 times around. If a gymnast jumps out, it might be harder to spot under-rotation.
Justin
You think so ? In the COP, it's written that a D+B dance connection worths 0,1 bonus ...
DeleteI just checked the code, and that only applies to spins.
DeleteJustin
Can we please stop with the whole high art vs. low art for once? Good grief, the same Anon keeps popping up on everything to diss non-Russian gymnasts with their faulty logic.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for Afan. She didn't win because of her artistry though. She won because of her overall superior execution, i.e. better landings, cleaner form. It's tempting to say it was because of artistry, sort of similar to how people talked about Musty winning over Skinner at last year's Worlds, when in reality differences in execution were what set them apart. Artistry may have had something to do with it insofar as you count performance of actual skills as a part of artistry.
"their faulty logic"
DeleteFunny you choose to call it "high and low art"as if something besides ballet would be consider lower when any other form of art would require as much time and training to achieve good results. Why don't we call it high and low skills? There is a gap between skills and "different style" argument isn't going to cut it.
"She didn't win because of her artistry though."
Of course she didn't. That's not how the past two world floor gold medals have been won.
Hi, love this blog. I've been a fan of Russian gymnastics for years. (Maria Filatova was one of my favourites). So glad that Afanasyeva won the gold medal. Glad the British girls did well, but Afanasyeva was just stunning.
ReplyDeleteI personally love both Afanasyeva and Claudia's different but equally good floor routines. I love Claudia's energy, her innovative and unusual choreography and the fact she clearly enjoys performing but agree her form is far from perfect( especially on that triple twist-I wish she would take it out !) On the other hand Ksenia's form is very good and her elegance undeniable. However for me her performance in the floor final lacked a little enthusiasm especially compared to her routine at the 2012 Olympics
ReplyDeleteMy opinion:
ReplyDelete- Fragapane has artistry. “Ow, but her execution…” Yeah, her EXECUTION, but she’s artistic. Obviously, it’s not the best performance in the world, but is artistry, is entertaining, and mainly she’s trying. Different of Biles, Fragapane doesn’t make a simple requirement, she works a choreography. And different of Raisman, she makes a choreography. Ok, we want perfection, we want groundwork, but she lost, did she? And here I have other opinion.
- Sincerely, artistry is different from execution. We needs the scores A. This can be the balance, and can create more complications, but c’mon, today the system is quite complex and only the big fans understand.
I live in America and when I was watching the London Olympics replays online they didn't show Anastasia Grishina's UB routine or Ksenia Afanasyeva's Floor routine from the team final. I had to search youtube to watch the performances. Does anyone know why NBC sometimes cuts out routines?
ReplyDeleteTV producers are rarely specialists in the sports they cover and my videos of comps are full of similar errors of judgement. For example in 2012 the BBC showed Komova on bars during both quals and team finals when in fact the outstanding bars routine in team finals was Mustafina's - that had the added dimension of being her first great performance since her comeback from injury. These nuances were lost thanks to poor editing.
DeleteIn the main though I think that BBC coverage of gymnastics today is amongst the best there ever has been - I have never watched NBC but I guess they have advertisements? If so they cut the time available for routines. Not to mention the possibility that NBC may have opted to pay for an individual rights package that may have limited coverage to within a certain time limit; or merely editorial policy that suggests a focus on the home USA team.
You should write to NBC and let your opinions of their editing be known.