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Kustova and Vorona have retired


TASS reports that promising junior Diana Kustova (Moscow) has retired, and taken up work as a fitness trainer.  Yana Vorona (Voronezh), a great beam worker who looked likely to achieve as a full member of the senior team, has also retired. Both gymnasts have been unable to get back to elite level after injury.

No further news on Vlada Urazova (Rostov).  The only Olympians who will be present at Novosibirsk for the Russian Cup will be Angelina Melnikova and Viktoria Listunova.  Russia is almost entirely reliant now on the new generation of  2007/8 born gymnasts to carry forward their gymnastics legacy.  

Here is what head coach Valentina Rodionenko has to say:

Members of the Russian national artistic gymnastics team Diana Kustova and Yana Vorona have ended their careers. This was reported to TASS by the senior coach of the national team Valentina Rodionenko.

💛"Kustova ended her career in artistic gymnastics and went into fitness, according to my information, she is now working as a coach in one of the clubs," Rodionenko said. "We were counting on this athlete, we expected results from her and did not want to lose her, since a lot of effort was invested. Diana told me in our last conversation that she can no longer train in the same mode as the national team."

💜"The reason for Vorona's departure is an injury, after which, unfortunately, she was unable to fully recover. According to her coach, Yana is ending her career. For us, her departure is also a loss, but this is gymnastics, to which, unfortunately, not everyone returns after injuries," the TASS interlocutor added.

The Russian Cup begins in just over a week’s time and will give us a look at how the team has progressed since the BRICS Games in June.  

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