Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

As ever, the run-up to the World Championships provides a rich source of media on Russian Gymnastics.  Thanks to the Russian Gymnastics Federation for providing the links below: Tulsa news - Ksenia Afanasyeva will compete at the world championships Moscow Live - 12th September - Maria Paseka returns (Russian language version) English language version Antonova, Ksenia (date and publication unknown) 'Nikita Ignatiev: Soldier's Son' There is also now an entire section of the RGF site dedicated to the World Championships where a link to the official site including the full schedule of competition including working order for qualifications can be found. 'Arms Race' Russia 2 video on Sportbox including the Russian men in training, including brief conversations with Andrei Rodionenko, Konstantin Pluzhnikov and Anton Golutsotskov.  Addresses the increasing levels of difficulty in the sport and training methods. Interview with Alexei Nemov on Russian programm...

Bruno Grandi, President of the FIG, will be speaking at an international conference on the future of Russian sports, ' Russia, Country of Sports ', to be held at the Russian International Olympic University in Saransk on the 9th September. The conference will be attended by leading practitioners in the field of sports education, including Head Coach of the Russian national gymnastics team, Andrei Rodionenko. Both Grandi and Rodionenko have given interviews in the approach to this important event which you will be able to find (in Russian) at the Sports Daily website - links provided below.  Bruno Grandi uses the opportunity to trumpet ongoing efforts to simplify the Code with a view to making the sport more attractive to spectators, and looks forward to the London Olympics.  Rodionenko echoes some of the themes he identified in so many of his interviews given at around the time of last year's World Championships - principally emphasising the need to reinforce the re...

In the wake of Andrei Rodionenko's announcement of the training squads for this year's World Championships, RIA Novosti reports that veteran Maxim Devyatovski has made claim to a place on the team.  While he admits that his current form is poor, he says he 'plans to reach a peak' in time for Tokyo, showing his best form at a selection due to take place in Penza on 17th September (4 weeks' time).  The Federation has responded that Devyatovski did not have sufficient physical preparation, and did not want to come to Tokyo anyway, because of concerns over nuclear fall out. The teams announced by Rodionenko are: Women :     Komova, Afanasyeva, Dementieva, Belokobylskaya, Paseka, Nabieva.  Reserves: Polyan, Inishina Men :          Garibov, Khorokhodin, Ignatiev, Belyavsky, Ablyazin, Cherkasov, Golutsotskov, Pluzhnikov Rodionenko also gave special mention to Anastasia Sidorova and Anastasia Grishina, both ...