Heroes are only human

At the next Olympics, the teams will include four all arounders.  This rule change is one of the more positive things that the FIG has done for the sport recently.  Specialists like Denis Ablyazin will still get a chance to qualify for a limited number of specialist spots, but the emphasis on all around achievement is just what gymnastics needs.  The all arounder has always been the most intriguing gymnast, and it is is the all around competition that brings with it the greatest sense of show, endurance and self challenge.  This change will eventually, hopefully, encourage the pursuit of excellent and consistent execution as a route to self actualisation, if not competition medals.  Apparatus specialists can be very exciting, but they are also rather hit and miss.  If the sport's raging epidemic of injuries can also be quelled, and gymnasts can enjoy competing longer, it will be a step forward.

I always love the RGF's photo galleries, especially the way they quietly convey stories and personality.  At these Championships, we are seeing an amazing thing happen, and the picture galleries are ripe with meaning.  What has made this competition so special?  It isn't a tour de force of unbeatable gymnastics, or a changing of the guard or the generations, but I do think that one dimension is the enrichment of the sport into a multi generational community, a developing strength in depth both MAG and WAG, and amongst the coaches.  Artur Dalolyan's second victory as Russian champion lays down a challenge to David Belyavski and Nikita Nagorny; Denis Ablyazin is still going strong; and this week Kirill Prokopyev made steps forward towards a higher profile place on the team, too.  Aliya Mustafina's re-appearance on the competition floor has energised, motivated and encouraged a women's team hit hard by the absence of last year's leader, Elena Eremina, and vault world champion Maria Paseka.  Who would have believed, a year ago, that we would see 2010 World Champions compete alongside each other in 2018?    Nabiyeva's spirit in supporting her St Petersburg team, struggling without its three leading gymnasts, turns my soul inside out, as does Mustafina's amazing, determined return - and Melnikova's sense of finding herself in the all around, her joyous, confident tumbling in the floor final just now.  Viktoria Gorbatova, a first year senior yet to be tested at the highest level, is an unspoken hero so far, and the emergence of Angelina Simakova is encouraging.  They are all, men and women, stronger and deeper than they appeared a year ago, and the coaches, too, seem more diverse, younger, less worried and more focussed on the job.  Russia is fighting again.

And as I write this, Aliya and Viktoria line up for beam final alongside Kharenkova, Melnikova and the rest.  Shivers down my spine too as the PB line up is revealed.  It will be a rough hour ahead, but the determination on Mustafina's face, the cheekiness of Dalolyan's smile, is surely enough to galvanise and encourage the team.

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.  Except to say, amongst the greatness, there is a lot of grit. Head coach Andrei Rodionenko this week, explaining the lack of spectators in Kazan, said that there were 'no heroes' left in gymnastics any more.  On this, he was wrong in one important way.  Heroes may sometimes find celebrity, but they are measured by more than the number of people who follow them.  Heroes are humans, like you and me, they just decide to be extraordinary and make difficult, challenging work their daily business.  They put their necks on the lines and take action while the rest of us only have the courage to spectate and judge.  They are all heroes, they are all human.  But some of them are legends, living legends.  And there is still time left for them to make their best case for that.

Three generations - Nabiyeva, Melnikova, Simakova.

Mustafina and Grebyonkin

Gorbatova with bars coach Sergei Andrianov

Andrei Rodionenko has implemented some great strategies since Rio that have seen the teams strengthened, and established a calm determination to their work.  A new generation of coaches is asserting itself under his leadership.

Dalolyan, happy as Russian AA champion (as he predicted!)

Angelina Simakova, this year's promise.  Simakova's floor routine, cute and shy, showed a few glimpses of Ksenia Afanasyeva's influence as coach-choreographer- although I am sure that this is just a start.

Angelina Melnikova, who has flowered this spring

Maria Paseka looks as comfortable as coach as competitor - she was here this week on the floor with Seda Tutkhalyan.