Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

There are some unexpected recurring themes in my gymnastics holidays: bad food, inappropriate men, funny friends and brilliant Russians.  As this is a diary of my Brussels experience as much as a story about the European Championships, I will provide you with an update of how Tracey and I are getting on here, as well as some links to interesting information about today's junior team competition, which the Russians won quite brilliantly. First of all, let me show you a picture. Snack acquired at Le Roy d'Espagne, Grand Place, Brussels, Belgium Let me take my earlier statement a little further, and propose the hypothesis that bad food and inappropriate men precede brilliant Russians.  We first established this possible link in Stuttgart, when an order of lasagne turned out to be the worst culinary disaster of our lifetime.  (I have never had to carve pasta before or since.)  Secondly, in Athens, a self-described 'very bold, very audacious' Georgian gentleman pr...

Arrived safely in Brussels and very much looking forward to the gymnastics.  I hope you are reading the excellent quick hits available at the All Around and the Gymnastics Examiner – see the links at the bottom of this page.  My coverage of Europeans is bound to be much more personal, and significantly less technical!  There are also now some videos of podium training available at the Full Twist - worth a look at the Russian girls' bars and beam. Tomorrow afternoon the real action begins, with the junior girls competing for the team title and also for qualification to Friday's all around competition.  My guess is that Kharenkova and Shelgunova will represent Russia in this competition which will be one of the highlights of the Championships.   This is my seventh European Championships and I'm joined here by friends who have been to at least as many competitions as me.  My friend Tracey, whom I met at the Rotterdam World Championships in 1987...