Skip to main content

Valentina Rodionenko - Elena Davydova should return to coach in Russia

As usual, Valentina Rodionenko has an opinion on the current Canadian Gymnastics suspension of Elena Davydova, and has a verdict to deliver on Elvira Saadi, too.  Davydova has been invited to return to coach in Russia - she still has her apartment in St Petersburg, apparently.

Remember that Andrei Rodionenko headed up Canadian Gymnastics’ training for eight years until moving back to Russia in 2006.  Valentina’s opinion of the relative merits of Elvira and Elena’s coaching styles may have some basis in fact.


Read the whole story in English (Google translate from the original Russian language source - TASS) below.


‘Valentina Rodionenko: “Davydova needs to return to Russia, we will be happy to take her”


Valentina Rodionenko believes that Elena Davydova needs to return to Russia.


Two-time Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics Elena Davydova was temporarily suspended from coaching in Canada


“Elena Davydova needs to return, we will be happy to take her. Lena left Leningrad for Canada in 1991, she always said that she wanted to return to Russia. Davydova didn’t even sell her apartment in St. Petersburg.


Elvira Saadi, suspended for life, is a different case; her methods are not welcomed in Russia now, and nothing has connected her with our country for a long time.


I recently talked with Lena, nothing foreshadowed her removal. Unlike the case with Elvira Saadi, Davydova’s excommunication is very surprising to me.


But I cannot rule out that Lena was suspended for the same reasons as Elvira. These are requirements to follow a diet and strictly monitor your weight, psychological pressure on children, and so on, and everything can only come from the parents of gymnasts.


I repeat, Lena’s dismissal came as a complete surprise to me. I said earlier that Davydova, unlike Saadi, managed to rebuild and adjust her requirements for athletes. But both always had gymnasts from Team Canada.


Lena worked with wonderful girls, she is a very competent coach,” said the senior coach of the Russian artistic gymnastics team.


Source: TASS’

Comments

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,...

Rodionenko responds

Rodionenko about Melnikova’s words about the level of gymnastics in Russia: “Such comments are not from a great mind. I don’t think Angelina has the right to judge.” The coach criticized Angelina Melnikova for her words about the level of Russian gymnastics. Earlier, Olympic champion Melnikova said: “In Russia there are two or three gymnasts who can qualify for the level of the European and World Championships, the rest cannot. The level of competition in Russia is also low.” “I am skeptical about her comment. I don’t think that Angelina has the right to judge the state of gymnastics in Russia and talk about who can qualify for prizes. We have enough competition, it is no coincidence that Angelina was only third at the Russian Cup. Such comments are not from a great mind. We are Olympic champions in team competitions. Not individually, but as a team! This is a special victory and it says a lot. That’s all,” said senior coach of the Russian artistic gymnastics team Valentina Rodionenko....

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...

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more