Skip to main content

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.

Comments

  1. I totally agree! It used to be like watching an artistic performance to watch the Olympic gymnastics competition. Nowadays the Americans put on sloppy looking tumbling exercises with supposedly high degree of difficulty that the lay person can’t distinguish anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You know what's sad? I can't even enjoy Simone's gymnastics anymore. Once the novelty of whatever crazy upgrade she's pulling wears off it's hard not to notice how she's gotten worse too. Like you said, she represented the pinnacle of what is worthwhile about American power style gymnastics. So if even her gymnastics can't hide the ugliness, I think it's time to revamp the sport.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ban them. Ban England too. The same rules need to apply to everybody

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Svetlana Boginskaya: I was always a bitch* in gymnastics

Svetlana Boginskaya, 15 years old, with her medals from the Seoul Olympics Nico translates the latest interview with gymnastics legend Svetlana Boginskaya, during a recent visit to her home country of Belarus. Svetlana Boginskaya: I was always a bitch* in gymnastics, so now I ask for forgiveness from everyone who came in contact with me. The National Olympic Committee of Belarus held a press conference with three-time Olympic Champion in artistic gymnastics, Svetlana Boginskaya. The meeting was devoted to the 25th anniversary of the Olympic Games in Seoul. In South Korea the Belarussian won two gold medals in the team competition and vault. As a gift to the Olympic Hall of fame, the famous gymnast, now living in the United States, donated one of her trophies that she won at the 1990 European Championships and a pennant for Best Female Athlete of the USSR in 1989. How happy we were when we could share with such stars as Boginskaya, Scherbo, and Ivankov,...

Mustafina Interview 2 of 2 : 'I will only perform under the Russian flag'

Argumentyi i Fakti interview with Aliya Mustafina Translated by Marina Vulis ‘I have no fear’, says Aliya Mustafina.   ‘My father [Farhat Mustafin, the bronze medallist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1976 Olympics] took me to my first gymnastics class.   In his opinion children need to do sports, and he saw gymnastics as useful for my general development.   He had no goals – just to let us practice.’ It did not end with ‘just practice’ – she became the World Champion at 16, but then had an ACL injury the next year (2011) at the Europeans.   Even just returning to gymnastics is a feat; then she came back to win four medals at the 2012 Olympics. Aliya Mustafina – That injury.   I do not know why I was ashamed – so many people were watching me and I could not even walk.   My parents!   They saw everything on TV (the coach had to carry her from the podium).   Of course I was aware that anything could happen in gymnastics, but I di...

I am looking forward with inspiration - Melnikova returns to international competition

Angelina Melnikova will be the first Russian WAG to compete internationally since the IOC ban in 2022 when she appears at the World Challenge Cup in Paris on September 13 and 14 this year. Travelling with her will be coach Konstantin Pluzhnikov and judge Elena Redyanova.   Angelina says she will compete AA with a relatively simple programme. I’m glad Angelina is making this start for Russia.  It’s a real tribute to this young woman that she is trusted with the first effort at coming back after such a long time, and I hope people welcome her back warmly.  Angelina will be competing as a neutral athlete, of course.  She was awarded this status after a fair and rigorous process of evaluation by the FIG.   Here is what Angelina said today to Match TV: Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics Angelina Melnikova told Match TV how she reacted to being admitted to the FIG World Challenge Cup tournament in France. ❓What emotions did you experience from the fact that you w...

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more