Listunova and the rest

 If you can make your way to Viktoria Listunova’s Instagram site, you will be able to see her practising FX and BB.  I’m not sure where her D values stand - earlier this year the RGF was advertising them as the highest in the world, but then they would, wouldn’t they?  But it pleases my heart to see the quality and line of her work - the beautiful wolf turns, in particular, which Russia transformed at the Olympics. 

I do pray hard for peace in Ukraine and Russia, and I understand on a political level why Russia as a team is banned from competing internationally.  But on a personal, sporting level - wherever will the women’s sport of gymnastics go without gymnasts like Listunova and Urazova and Melnikova?  

It’s plain that America at least has thrown good execution to the four winds, and is putting its trust in high difficulty values to dominate the scores (and they are probably right in thinking that this will see them win gold in Antwerp). 

There is such a lot of hype about them since the Classic - and I understand that they are dynamic, have high levels of difficulty etc.  But with the exception of a few passes in even fewer routines, the quality of the gymnastics is terrible.  It’s a slapdash, sloppy approach to the sport that pays very little respect to its roots of virtuosity and accuracy - and it’s not even particularly safe - Biles feels the need to be spotted during her vault.  

We all have our opinions - this is mine.  Let’s hope that other countries can keep the ‘artistic’ in artistic gymnastics alive.