Ministry of Sport publishes Russia squad lists for 2016

Valentina Rodionenko has confirmed that Mustafina is back in training.  Tass

This year the Ministry of Sport has published the full lists of gymnasts training with the national team - youth, junior, senior reserve and senior.  You can find the full lists, including the coaches, in Russian language here, and there is a transcription of the gymnasts' names in English at JAS's blog, Videos of Russian Gymnasts.

As usual, you will find that there is a little delay before the lists catch up with the reality.  For example, Maria Bondareva's name still appears on the listing for the senior reserve team, but sadly, she announced her retirement for medical reasons some months ago.  The senior lists otherwise include all those in training for the Olympics.  You can read what I think of the early announcements of the Olympic teams here.  The full Olympic teams will include only five gymnasts, so competition for places will be fierce and, no doubt, health will play a part in the selections.  New names this year include, as expected, Natalia Kapitanova, Angelina Melnikova, Daria Skrypnik and Ekaterina Sokova.  Quite a bumper year for new talent on the women's team.  To my eye, the men have stayed the same as last year, but I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

One point is that the women's coaching team has been beefed up a little bit on the acrobatics side.  Vasily Ivanov, who used to be the coach in charge of both vaulting and acrobatics for the senior women, has now moved to look after acrobatics on the junior team.  Replacing him on the senior team we now have Artem Voinov (vault) and Sergei Zelikson (acrobatics).  Voinov has been on the coaching team since at least last year, but this is the first time that his specialism has been published.  He is a young coach (1987 born) so presumably has been developing the role.  Zelikson, though, is a relatively new addition, even if he is a familiar face.  You may remember him as personal coach of 2012 Olympian, Anastasia Grishina.  His departure from the senior scene took place around the end of 2012, in what appeared to be rather hurried circumstances.  He and former national women's coach Alexander Alexandrov didn't really seem to hit it off, so his rehabilitation as a national team member is intriguing.  I'm sure that Ivanov was a popular coach amongst the girls, so I hope that this change will be an improvement both for juniors and seniors.

As usual, the personal coaches of the top gymnasts are also acknowledged as national coaching team members.  Viktoria Komova has Gennady Elfimov, and Ksenia Afanasyeva has Marina Nazarova.  Nazarova is now acknowledged as a beam specialist, reinforcing Marina Bulashenko's efforts as beam choreographer.  Sergei Starkin, who looks after Denis Ablyazin and Aliya Mustafina, is listed as a men's all around coach.

There is a bit of a flurry of publicity around about gymnastics at present.  Valentina Rodionenko has announced that Aliya Mustafina is properly back in training from the 6th January and will compete at the Russian Championships.  Sergei Starkin has also been conducting his own personal press campaign on behalf of his gymnast, Denis Ablyazin, and has explained that selections for the Olympics will be in three stages - National Championships, European Championships and the Russia Cup.  Denis can't be complacent about his routines, and they are preparing a new programme for the Olympics to keep up with the rapidly developing competition.  (Thanks to Gemma Fry for translating the Starkin interview).

Two Presidents together.  RGF

The VTB RGF corporate calendar is now out and conveniently the year has twelve months, so we are treated to pictures of all the members of last year's World Championships team.  I only wish that the RGF would send me one.  The latest edition of Gymnastika is also now available, including features on Rusudan Sikharulidze and GB coach Andrei Popov and all sorts of other articles.  You can even learn to braid your hair like Ksenia Afansyeva.  And there is a wonderful picture of RGF President Vasily Titov with President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.

I wonder if anyone feels strong enough to do some translations?  Do drop me a line if so.  I am fairly easily contactable via messenger on the RRG Facebook page.

Senior MAG : Ablyazin, Balandin, Belyavski, Garibov, Ignatyev, Kazachkov, Kudashov, Kuksenkov, Lankin, Nagorny, Petrov, Polyashov, Starikov, Stretovich

Senior WAG : Afanasyeva, Dmitrieva, Kapitanova, Komova, Melnikova, Mustafina, Paseka, Skrypnik, Sokova, Sosnitskaya, Spiridonova, Tutkhalyan, Kharenkova, Shelgunova.

Good luck to all the gymnasts and coaches!  We all hope you have a fantastic and very memorable Olympic year.