Skip to main content

News from Moscow - national teams - Yana Vorona - Elena Gerasimova




First of all, the gymnasts are continuing to work on their applications to compete as neutral individuals in FIG competitions.  I know for sure that the applications will include Viktoria Listunova and Angelina Melnikova.

Please bear in mind that Russia still won't be competing as a team.  There will be limits on the numbers of gymnasts they can send to each competition, but I don't know how this will be decided or how the qualifications to Worlds will work.  Or if qualified individual gymnasts will even be allowed to go to the Olympics.  Will the gymnasts take their own personal coaches with them, or will the national coaches accompany them?  It's all a mystery.

The national team rosters for 2025 have been published and not much has changed.

The list of coaches seems almost identical.  Head coaches are still the Rodionenkos, Alfosov remains as head of the men's team and Bulgakova is still looking after the women.  Mustafina has kept her job as head of the junior women's team.  Afanasyeva is still working as a choreographer on beam and floor for the women.  Marina Bulashenko, a beam coach from way back when, is also listed on the senior team.

The men's team has lost some big names.  Nagorny, unsurprisingly, is no longer on the team; I guess he finds his work in the media more interesting at the moment.  Daniil Marinov seems to be the top male gymnast in the main senior team.  Belyavski and Dalaloyan have both been shifted downwards as part of the senior reserve.  My guess is that they lack the motivation to train for competition, without the excitement of a team event. 

Some familiar names that are no longer there include Yana Vorona, who now works in the circus.  Elena Gerasimova has secured a job as a coach at one of the Moscow clubs.  Denis Ablyazin is back in training after his shoulder injury, but isn't good enough yet to appear on the national team.  

A positive aspect of Russia's hopeful participation in world competition will be that old friendships between our countries can be revisited.  Gymnastics has always been such a nice sport, on a personal level.  To a certain extent I think that the IOC got it wrong when they 'cancelled' Russia's participation at the last Olympics; surely sport is a great vehicle for promoting peace and friendship.  But then again, perhaps Putin spoiled all that.  

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Andreev to replace Rodionenko

Dmitry Andreev has replaced Andrei Rodionenko as head coach of the Russian national artistic gymnastics team. This was announced on his Telegram channel by the Russian Minister of Sports and head of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev. 💬"I signed an order to appoint Honored Coach of Russia Dmitry Andreev as head coach of the Russian national artistic gymnastics team," Degtyarev said. "He is a highly qualified specialist with modern views, but at the same time he will be able to ensure continuity and support for the rich traditions of the Russian school of artistic gymnastics. Since 2015, Andreev has been working as a senior coach for the preparation of the national team's reserve. As an international judge, Dmitry Valerievich has extensive experience working at major international tournaments and participated in four Olympics (2012-2024). Since 2010, he has headed the All-Russian Collegium of Judges. 👏I would like to thank Andrei Rodionenko for his work...

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...

Russia defend team silver medal in Rio

It was an emotional performance and an emotional reaction at the end - but Russia is now second in the world in both MAG and WAG! The team did well, exploiting its strengths on bars and vault, and holding its own on beam.  Seda Tutkhalyan really showed her maturity and mettle with an almost perfect showing on beam and a solid, if not faultless, display on floor.  Maria Paseka did her best ever Amanar vault.  Aliya Mustafina ... was Mustafina.  Taking her fifth Olympic medal here, she scored over 60 in the AA.   The best work did come from the 2012 veterans, although Seda on beam and Daria on bars do have that special mark of Russian innovation and skill.  Angelina Melnikova looked perhaps a little overwhelmed at times - though I personally love her emotion - but this was only her first Olympics and I am certain she will be back for more.  Should she have had her personal coach on the floor with her?  It might have given her more assurance.  I...