Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

Another gold medal for Russia's team in artistic gymnastics at the European Championships.  Russia now rules the sport in Europe, both men and women.  15 year old Angelina Melnikova scored the highest of all competitors across four apparatus; exactly as her team captain, Aliya Mustafina, did six years ago in her own major senior competitive debut. Aliya waved her magic wand here and somehow helped the team to summon up courage to fight the effervescent British team.  Angelina was a strong start off gymnast on every piece, just what the team needs to settle them.  In her own quiet way, 'Gelya' makes as much difference to this team's fighting spirit as Nikita Nagorny does to the men.   In the end, the working order put paid to a close fight.  Under pressure, Britain showed uncharacteristic errors and finished more than six points behind Russia.  EF tomorrow will tell a different story, I suspect.  Russia's victory was down to solid teamwork as much ...

Russia won today's team final at the European Gymnastics Championships with an impressively consistent performance - not one fall!  Led by the charismatic David Belyavski, the team showed leadership over the entire field, finishing first in every apparatus except rings and high bar.  It was a very close competition against Britain, who last won Europeans just before the Olympics in 2012.  Russia's victory at the equivalent time in Olympic preparations leaves open the possibility that they could perform even better in Rio.  Their team score of 271.378 was roughly half a point higher than Japan's winning score at the Glasgow World Championships last winter. Russia's 'shock' events were pommels and vault; pommels showing a huge turn round in form as Russia has so very often faltered there.  Not only did Britain feel the absence of their leader Max Whitlock on these pieces, it is true to say that Russia have also improved considerably.  Their strategy of develo...