Komova - a prodigious talent for performance I have been pondering the nature of gymnastics talent recently, while viewing some videos of 1992 competitions on YouTube - you can find links to them if you like, by visiting RRG's Facebook page. What was it that made the Soviets so outstanding? In the videos, you will see three champions, side by side, each competing close to perfect routines almost every time they hit the podium. No sprung floor, no vaulting table, a Code that (1) required compulsory as well as optional routines to be prepared, (2) encouraged innovation in single moves of extreme difficulty, (3) required balanced performances of artistic as well as technical merit, and (4) recognised and rewarded virtuosity. The three champions I am speaking of each satisfied the Code in different ways: Boguinskaia had unique and incredible grace and amplitude; Lyssenko expressed emotional intensity through an amazing combination of power, difficulty and artistry; Gutsu ...
Hmmmm, I think is is great how wonderful of a leader Mustafina is, but at the same time, it seems unhealthy that the gymnasts are having a hard time without her. Sure, the team total isn't as high and it may be a little disheartening without their leader, but should the individual gymnasts' performance and preparation really be affected that much? I can hardly imagine this happening if, say, Simone Biles got injured and was out.
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