Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

Such a lot is said about artistry these days - but you don't really see much evidence of it in the gymnastics.   There are flashing moments of brilliance that some people enjoy - for example, a gymnast like Brazil's Flavia Saraiva is a favourite for her spirited and expressive floor and beam.  Others might prefer the structured work of a gymnast like Kyla Ross.  For me, though, the idea of consummate artistry has been lost almost totally - the last time I saw anything like it was in 2012 when Komova performed her floor so brilliantly in the all around final.  But without a mechanism to reward artistry - something that is absent from this Code of Points - there really isn't much point even trying any more. Aliya Mustafina was interviewed recently while on holiday in Italy and expressed the opinion that artistry was something that was inborn, rather than trained.  She uses a metaphor to describe this - some gymnasts have five gears, not four, and the abilit...

An interview with the most decorated Olympic Champion of all time,  Larissa Latynina, by Dmitry Efanov and Alexander Lyubimov for 'Kultura'. Nine time Olympic champion gymnast Larissa Latynina will be 80 years old on the 27th December.  A few days before her birthday, the legend of world sport answered some questions. Kultura: Birthday, New Year's Eve - don't you get fed up of cooking? Latynina: I love the holidays - it's a joy to communicate with loved ones. My priority is to see my daughter. Kultura: Which New Year has been the most memorable? Latynina: Probably 1957.  Returning from the Olympic Games in Melbourne.  I arrived into Vladivostock on New Year's Eve, then travelled by train to Moscow. Everywhere we went people were happy and congratulated us on our successful performance at the Olympics. They gave us gifts, and decorated Christmas trees.  Everyone was young, cheerful. With great pleasure I remember this trip. Kultura: Yo...

Larissa Latynina, Olympic Champion in 1956 and 1969, former national coach during the 1970s, and for many years a strong supporter of the Russian team, has spoken to Sportbox about the Russian team.  The interview was published prior to today's all around final, in which Aliya Mustafina finished a creditable fourth following some upsetting mistakes on floor. Nine-time Olympic gymnastics champion Larisa Latynina told Sportbox.ru's correspondent about the first results of the World Championships, frequent injuries in the women's and men's team and the problems and need for a psychologist in the team. Was bronze success or failure for the current women's team? 'Mustafina pulled the team into third place.   Unfortunately, we don't have any athletes who could take the place of the leader, Mustafina.  In recent years, periodically, there are stars, but they are injured or ill.  Recently I read an interview with Andrei Rodionenko, in which he...

Olympic legend Larissa Latynina has been reflecting on Russian gymnastics in an interview with Pravda, and I am summarising below a paraphrased version of what she has said. Interesting that Russia is now beginning to reflect on the brain drain and loss of investment dating back to the 1990s and early 2000s and that is now affecting their competitive results.  There is also a fascinating article  on the mass exodus of coaches, including interviews with Valery Belenkyi, Vladimir Vatkin, Andrei Popov and Alexander Alexandrov.   I am hoping to have it translated for you in the coming weeks.   In the meantime, Larissa's words reflect so much of what has been covered in this blog over the last year.  Someone of her profile and significance speaking openly on this subject in the Russian press must show that her country is beginning to consider the loss, and perhaps the measures necessary for a recovery - if desired. "You know, I want to tell you that we ...

I should be writing some important work this afternoon but instead find myself drifting off to the Olympics ... past, as well as present.  I am a little disappointed not to be able to see the Russians fight for gold at my home Olympics at last ... but never mind.  Let's remember some of the greatest Olympians ever, and hope for the golden tradition to be continued in 2012. 1952 - Marina Gorokhovskaya on uneven bars (she took silver on this apparatus, but was the all around champion) You may well love the interesting techniques she uses here. Look for the enthusiastic audience participation too! Watch it on Youtube . 1956, 1960 and 1964 - Larissa Latynina on floor She's so languid. In 1956, it was the Latynina and Keleti show, with Latynina winning the all around and sharing the gold on floor with her Hungarian rival. In 1960 Latynina held onto both the all around and floor golds, keeping the gold in 1964 but being beaten to the all around title by the glamorous Ve...

I'm just collating the voluminous amounts of results and video links relating to the Russian Federal Championships, though I'm afraid my progress is rather slow thanks to the recent adoption of two adorable black and white cats, Harry and Ron, who are of course my priority at the moment, alongside large volumes of assessment I must complete as part of my 'proper' job!  However, to keep you interested, here are some links I located via the Russian Gymnastics Federation website .  First of all, an interview (from 2007) with 13 time Olympic medalist and long-serving member of the Men's Technical Committee, Boris Shakhlin (RIP).  Boris reflects on the relative increasing difficulty levels in gymnastics (he competed at Olympics in 1956, 1960 and 1964), on the rewards accorded to sportsmen in his time, and on his premature retirement from sport, brought on by a heart attack at the age of 35 as he prepared for the 1968 Olympics.  When asked to rank the best gymnasts of ...

Visit this link to view a charming short documentary (2002) on 1956 and 1960 Olympic All Around Champion, Larissa Latynina.  Latynina retired from competition in 1966 and took up post of Soviet National Coach for the women's team, a title she held until 1977. The documentary includes footage of Ukraine-born Latynina in competition in the 1950s, and more recently relaxing in her rural home in Russia, and attending the Russian Championships.  Towards the end of the documentary she is seen congratulating Elena Zamolodchikova, Anna Pavlova, and their coaches.