There is an unsung heroine on the Russian team, one who is often taken for granted - Daria Spiridonova. In amongst all the missed connections, the razzmatazz of announcements and big tumbles that characterised the World Championships at Glasgow, Spiridonova calmly maintained her position as a world leader on bars. The judges' baffling and bungled decision to 'coincidentally' award the medal to four different gymnasts of varying ability and performance can't conceal the fact that this young gymnast has now medalled on bars in every major competition, senior and junior, that she has entered since 2011.
More than that, Spiridonova's elegance and mature attitude in competition show evidence of a strong head and an adherence to the fundamental principles of gymnastics - economy of line, an effortless, gravity-defying appearance to all her work, and complexity that does not rely on tumbling as its main source of difficulty. In any other era Spiridonova would have the potential to be a leader all around. Yes, her falls in qualification were a let-down, and ultimately denied her a place in the final, where no doubt she would have finished in a relatively lowly position. But under a Code that values only Execution and Difficulty, the aesthetic value of work will always be denied in favour of efficiency and reliability. Would you prefer a Porsche to a Volvo? The FIG has decided on the latter, gymnastically speaking, even if the engine has been souped up.
No doubt for some of you this will be a controversial thing to say. How shocking to support Spiridonova, who can't get through a beam routine without hopping to the ground, and whose tumbles are so basic! She will never win anything! She certainly doesn't have the greatest record or reliability and her difficulty on vault and floor leaves a lot to be desired. But what I am speaking of is a different way of judging gymnastics (as opposed to evaluating it), a different paradigm entirely. A perspective, an added dimension that tragically has been lost to the sport.
So, it may be perfectly obvious, I found much of the Glasgow women's competition unwatchable, including much of the Russians' work, especially when they were falling all over the place. A distorted and mangled crazy spectacle of muscled contortions and ungainly flights. If I wanted to watch acro I would choose an Acrobatic Gymnastics competition, where the form and execution is miles better and where they don't attempt to pretend that they are performing. Don't tell me about gymnasts who are attempting to recapture elegance in their work through incorporating leaps and turns in place of tumbles. Gymnastics is supposed to combine elegance and innovation, not be a watered down shadow of itself and such attempts are merely a superficial nod in the direction of artistry. They do not capture the magnificence of artistic gymnastics at its best, and invariably focus mainly on floor, without considering the other apparatus. The phenomenon of virtuosity, a character of work that made a gymnast unique and recognisable across all four apparatus, has largely been lost. This is about more than toe point and leg line or indeed anything that can be put into words or listed systematically in a Code of Points. You can't make a scribble into a straight line without losing some meaning along the way.
Yes, there were also too many falls. There are too many injuries everywhere. All of these things are the consequence of a Code that values D score too highly, that attempts to measure rather than judge execution, that puts administration above artistry and values political correctness above creativity. That misunderstands what bias and objectivity are and plants its own value judgements as absolute without considering a wider frame of reference.
So that's why I say - look again at Spiridonova and value her for the aesthetic of her work as well as for her difficulty and execution. She is no Ilienko, but there are nascent qualities that come from the training. In perhaps more concrete terms, closer to the way that some of you think today, value her as a gymnast of strong mentality, the only gymnast of her generation to survive and thrive in Russia's current team environment. Who else but Spiridonova has consistently contributed to the team's medal count since 2012? Only the veterans of London, and they will probably retire post Rio. Tutkhalyan and Kharenkova have potential, but the team's spirit needs lifting if they are to produce extraordinary results. Gold would make all the difference, and at present Spiridonova is the only 'new' Russian who looks to have the strength of will and confidence to lead the way. They may well need her in Rio - for more than just the countable things.
I have to say, I'm pretty impressed by the Russian youngsters. Kharenkova is gorgeous on beam and floor - really, her floor routine is beautiful, she just needs to build confidence. Tutkhalian has a wonderful spirit and determination as well as some lovely work. And remember, a lot of Russian gymnasts tend to become consistent only after a while - look at the evolution of Maria Paseka, and a few years ago Afanasyeva was very unreliable. Not everyone starts off as regally as Mustafina! I agree, Spiridonova is a beautiful gymnast and it will be interesting to see how she progresses.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that extending the floor routines would be a solution to the current lack of artistry? 2 minutes instead of 1.5, with the same number of elements counted?
I would be interested to know what others think. But basically I think that would put more demands on their endurance and might even make things worse. And even if it did work, it would only address issues on the floor.
DeleteWell, artistry on vault is currently possible (McKayla Maroney is the perfect example of that), and I actually think that bars is the only piece of apparatus which has become more artistic since the scoring system changed - some of the bar routines you see these days are absolutely breathtaking. But beam and floor are worrying! Beam routines have become so staccato, and actually some of the required artistry elements almost seem to be making things worse - close-to-the-beam work, so Aly Raisman and Ellie Black both have the same little "chest down" to the beam move that serves no artistic purpose other than to meet the requirement, and don't even get me started on the sideways-dance thing... Okay, we'll probably never have another routine as beautiful as anything performed by Svetlana Grozdova, but there must be ways to improve it. Beam routines to music (at least in training)? Bring back compulsories?
DeleteI also think that there are a lot of gymnasts out there whose potential is not being realised by their choreographers. I mean, when you look at someone like Lilia Podkopayeva, her Olympic-winning floor routine is not comparable to her routine from 1995 Worlds - the same beautiful gymnast, for sure, but it took a great choreographer to showcase her properly. I really think the Russian team need to work on that and bring in some new choreographers.
I do think the code should consider artistry more than it currently does. But I also do not think the old 10 point system worked well when too many routines were rated as 10 point difficulty, when clearly they should be rated differently. (I believe a DTY was rated as a 10 along with a Produnova)
ReplyDeleteThere needs to be a compromise and I think the current code can be adapted to fulfill that need.
Todd
As I had said b4, this code was made for own Fig proposes....And it is an absurd support Fig when we look these medals for elegances.... These gymnasts are more elegants in last champinships? I don't think so. Where are the medals of Liukin, Mustafina, Afanasyeva, Iordache,.....But I am tired of to discuss it. Now I just admire the gymnasts who is fighting and winning with beauty, as Afan said.
ReplyDeleteThe new system of D score and E score has only been around since 2006. That is 10 years. They went a little too far to properly reward difficulty. Now they need to dial it back to properly reward artistry. It can happen, and it is likely the only way it will happen.
DeleteWith a system that is only 10 years old, you cannot expect perfection. I still firmly believe it is a better system than the 10 point system for elite artistic gymnastics. It needs to be adjusted and it will be every 4 years.
I think the new rule this quad that penalizes the gymnast when standing in the corner of the floor was an attempt to keep the floor program a smooth continuous routine, ie. more artistic, but it didn't quite work as too many gymnasts chose to use the flamingo leg turn. In short, I think the new code can work, and the FIG will continue to try, and countries like Russia should continue to pursue rules that add back more artistry.
Todd
The reason gymnasts pursue the D score at the expense of artistry is because no one knows how to properly gain more "artistry points" in the E score. The judges are to blame for not properly using the E score to distinguish between routines.
DeleteWhen the judges judged Paseka's vaults to each have a higher E score than Hong's vaults, that was a joke. When the judges determined that Kocian's EF bar routine deserved the same E score as Komova, that was a MUCH BIGGER joke.
The D score is reliable. The E score is not. So, therefore, the gymnasts and their coaches go after the reliable score. Can't blame them for that. The judges are smoking crack in many competitions when it comes to giving out E scores.
Spiridonova should have abandoned her AA aspirations years ago there is no way she can medal with a FTY. Her emphasis should of been bars and beam as it stands she is a one event gymnast albeit a great one. She will have to depend on others injuries to make it to Rio now. Whereas had she placed emphasis on bars and beam she perhaps would have upped her chances. I sometimes wonder what the coaches / gymnast are thinking in Russia.
ReplyDeleteYou are entitled to your opinion and Spiridoniva, of course, is never going to vie for an AA medal at world level. But to say she 'should abandon' her efforts is rather arrogant of you, and an over simplification. Spiridoniva was Russia Cup champion AA.
DeleteThis says rather a lot about strength in depth on the Russia team, but it does not indicate that Spiri is making the wrong life choices. That is up to her, and despite everything her team may be grateful for her efforts next summer as they just do not have enough AAers in reserve.
I guess the Russian coaches have a perspective and professional opinion that is based on their professional training and experience, and their familiarity with their gymnasts' abilities, rather than basing their decisions on the occasional video and what they read in the Internet!
Well why continue something if you cant medal? unless she does the AA for fun there really is no justification for her to risk injury doing it when she is so weak on floor and vault.As I said she should have placed her efforts on bars and beam she was used on one event in TF in Glasgow should Mustafina return her bars spot is not required.However, had she improved on beam and was consistent she stood a much better chance at making Rio.
Delete:-). This is an argument that 99.9% of the world's gymnasts could use to avoid training AA.
DeleteSome people cannot understant what is "winning" with beauty and grace... :). Spiridinova is beautiful on floor. I hope she upgrades her D-score. ;)
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