Is gymnastics still artistic?

Such a lot is said about artistry these days - but you don't really see much evidence of it in the gymnastics.   There are flashing moments of brilliance that some people enjoy - for example, a gymnast like Brazil's Flavia Saraiva is a favourite for her spirited and expressive floor and beam.  Others might prefer the structured work of a gymnast like Kyla Ross.  For me, though, the idea of consummate artistry has been lost almost totally - the last time I saw anything like it was in 2012 when Komova performed her floor so brilliantly in the all around final.  But without a mechanism to reward artistry - something that is absent from this Code of Points - there really isn't much point even trying any more.

Aliya Mustafina was interviewed recently while on holiday in Italy and expressed the opinion that artistry was something that was inborn, rather than trained.  She uses a metaphor to describe this - some gymnasts have five gears, not four, and the ability to express and perform comes with that fifth gear that not all gymnasts have.  I was a bit disappointed by this idea, coming from the most recent 'Queen' in a dynasty of great gymnastics expression, but perhaps it just stems from a pragmatic acceptance that gymnastics is no longer the whole package that it once was.

I can't really explain why this must be so, other than that the Code's structure of deducting 'execution' errors provides a natural tendency to reward those who avoid mistakes rather than take the sport into that extra dimension.  When artistry takes centre stage, people begin to speak of  'toe point' and 'line' as if that were the whole shabang, and use 'choreography' as a term to describe the composition of a floor routine ... but that is to confuse execution with artistry and to assume that artistry is visible only on floor, that choreography is only about the dance.

There is no excuse really for the lack of artistry in the sport at the moment.  People might moot the idea that the content of routines is now so difficult that gymnasts don't 'have time' to prepare and incorporate it into their routines, as if it is an add-on or an afterthought.  The truth is that artistry was never something that came last.  It was always totally integrated within the form, composition and technique of gymnastics.  Some gymnasts did have that 'extra gear' that Aliya speaks about, but a minimum standard of artistry was achieved because the Code encouraged it and the training was structured with it in mind.

Mind you, Aliya's explanation does stem very firmly from convictions about gymnastics that are based in a pragmatic acceptance of the rules of the sport today.  It's not as if athletes, coaches or even judges have much time to reflect on this, or even as if their opinions are really taken into account.  Naturally, in sport gold medals are more highly valued than questioning the status quo, and even the Russians have dropped artistry from their considerations.  Mustafina, Komova, Afanasyeva all have artistry to offer, but it tends to fall on deaf ears as far as their marks are concerned.   It's not really surprising that as far as they are concerned, their talent for performance is something optional, rather than essential.  It is also a pity, though, to see the Russian tradition thwarted in this manner.  I was interested to see this short news piece which includes extracts of ballet, rhythmic gymnastics and artistic gymnastics and which includes interviews with Larissa Latynina and Aliya Mustafina.

My guess is that we are reaching the peak of the current trend towards acrobatics and power in the sport.  I do not see gymnastics ever reverting to its past glories in this respect, but I do think that at some point there will need to be a change in direction, and the sport will need to recognise its special artistic nature.  Ice skating is one example where changes have been made to the method of marking to incorporate aesthetic considerations.  It is also true to say that artistry can be found in other aspects of the sport today.  I do think that Simone Biles is so extreme as to present a form of artistry in her powerful acrobatics.  Energy and strength pervades her every move.  But Simone is unique; I do not see others coming forward with her talents.

The recent European Youth Olympic Games gave us a chance to look at two young Russian gymnasts.  Sadly, live streaming of the competition was rather sparse, but you will find some videos on the RGF Youtube account.  Daria Skrypnik, from Krasnodar, was the stand-out gymnast, taking home three gold medals with her and minor medals on all of the other finals.  Her team mate, Anastasia Ilyankova, from Siberia, is currently a bars specialist, but has a lot to offer elsewhere, too, especially on beam where she qualified for the final.  She helped the team to a gold and took bronze in the all around and bars finals.  The RGF has published some fantastic picture galleries of the competitions on its website, and I was fascinated to compare some of the gymnastics of these two gymnasts.  As ever, I should note that there are limitations in the analysis of photographs as so much depends on the precise millisecond in which the picture was taken.

Anastalia Ilyankova shows tremendous split in this leap, and the hands are perfectly aligned with the arms.  But she is rather stiff around the shoulder line in this view.

Anastasia trains in Leninsk-Kuznetsk.  Her puckish movements on floor remind me of Maria Filatova, who trained in the same gymnasium.  In this shot, however, she isn't showing maximum amplitude.

Great balance and expression

The current Code robs floor routines of their originality by excessive requirements and by valuing dance for its technical difficulty rather than for its aesthetic.  Nevertheless, the balance of this pose shows exquisite attention to detail, with the hands mirroring the direction of the movement.

The willowy Skrypnik doesn't have the power and strength of Ilyankova, but attempts to show artistry by using her length to create shapes.  Are the hands in the right position here, though?  The socks don't enhance the overall impression ...

A great example of whole body expression - the clenched right hand is consistent with the attitude of this flowing movement.

Yet again, great expression from Skypnik, whose downcast eyes join the focus of this outward movement with the right foot.  What about the hands, though?