Skip to main content

Melnikova speaks about healthy eating

On her Instagram account :  


‘I have always reacted sharply to certain kinds of prohibitions, for example, food prohibitions.


Many coaches keep track of the girls, who ate what and how much, although, it seems to me, these are already relics of the past, but still there is a lot of this left now.


I was always OK. The coach even often fed me. He would bring bananas, then he would give me berries, then he would give me chocolate, knowing that I had a sweet tooth. I am always asked to this day, “Have you eaten?”


Therefore, there have never had eating disorders or other psychological problems related to weight.


I never liked prohibitions because I thought


“Damn, I’m here because I chose this, because I want to, because I’m conscientious about my work.  I want to achieve something, so I work here and try.”


Why force me into strict rules that really prevent me from reaching the top, growing as a person and as an athlete, demanding the almost impossible from me, instead of asking “what do you need in order to do this?”


In short, a paradox


And there were always just two questions in my head: “WHAT IS THIS AND WHY IS THIS?” ‘


Queen Elizabeth : This is clearly a kickback to Valentina Rodienenko’s statement yesterday.  Melnikova has been outspoken in her opinions on coach-gymnast relationships, expressing the importance of the athlete’s agency and self determination.  She is the first actively competing gymnast in Russia to challenge some of the ‘traditional’ approaches to sports coaching that gradually being overturned globally.  


It’s great to hear her speak out in such a positive way.  

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Who really won the WAG All Around?

You will find a link to the FIG's newly published book of results at the Olympic Games here .  This year, they have broken down the judge's execution scores so you can see exactly how each judge evaluated the gymnasts' performances.  It makes for interesting reading - if only I had more time to analyse each judge's marking.  A skim reading already highlights multiple inconsistencies in individual judges' marks and makes you wonder why they bother with the jury at all. I have taken the time to look at the reference judges' scores for the top four in the women's all around.  The FIG explains here what their role is, and how they are selected.  I even used my calculator, which is a risky thing in my hands.  My, how I wish we could have seen a similar document for the Tokyo World Championships. I wonder if anyone can explain how, if the FIG's Code of Points is so objective and fair, it is possible to come up with two different results using two differ...

'Mustafina is no longer in pain' - Valentina Rodionenko

Picture of Aliya Mustafina, courtesy of RGF Valentina Rodionenko has provided some updates on the Russian teams and how their preparation for Worlds (Nanning, China, 3 to 12 October) is progressing, via Allsports (http://www.allsportinfo.ru/index.php?id=84328) - The teams are now at camp in Italy, in two small towns close to Milan, by the sea, where the girls travelled on 29th June and the men on 1 July.  The athletes aren't only training, they can also relax. - Komova is working out at Round Lake, she didn't go to Italy.  We will see how she does at the Russia Cup, which will be held late August in Penza. Tatiana Nabiyeva is looking good in training and the other girls are also working.  Ksenia Afanasyeva won't have time to prepare for Worlds, and Anastasia Grishina's participation is also in doubt, we just don't know if she will qualify for the team.   We have hopes for Aliya Mustafina.  As always, she is our number one.  It would be great if there were t...

Aliya Mustafina - 'I'm just trying to stay healthy'

A brief interview with the World and Olympic Champion from All Sport is summarised below. Russian national gymnastics continues to prepare for the World Championships, which will be held October 3-12 in Nanning (China). Olympic champion Aliya Mustafina told Mary Staroverova about her health and about preparations for the competition. - In June, I went to Germany to solve the problem with my ankle.  I had a small operation to clean the joints of a build-up of bone particles.  Nothing serious was evident, and the operation went well.  Now I have to tumble.  But there is still some discomfort, a slight pain at full load, and I can not tumble at full force.  For the time being, I try to go easy on my legs.  After the Russia Cup I will have to fully prepare for Worlds. That is just one month.   Even if I'm not tumbling, I will keep myself in good shape, and that should suffice (smiles). - I can't say if it is a different pain to before Europeans, because at...

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010