Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

Viktoria Komova.  Picture courtesy of Sovietski Sport She hovers unsupported in mid-air, flying upwards to grasp the high bar.  It is a moment of supreme serenity and maximum power.  Every muscle is tense, yet perfectly aligned; the only influence of gravity is on Viktoria Komova's fringe and ponytail. Gymnastics is flight - that moment of freedom as the gymnast denies a surrender to gravity.  Komova flies through the air with the greatest of ease, achieving air time, body line and a rare aesthetic.  She is as light and airy as a swallow, yet the feats she performs demand the power of a Ferrari, the ferocity of a tiger, the toughness of a boxer, the stamina of a long distance runner. Gymnastics is about far, far more than stuck landings.

A happy Russian team launch their team kit : L to R Tatiana Nabieva, Alexander Balandin, Aliya Mustafina, Yulia Inshina, Ksenia Afanasyeva, Viktoria Komova, Maria Paseka, Anastasia Grishina.  Back centre: Nikita Ignatyev Media coverage of interviews with Viktoria Komova, Alexei Nemov and Valentina Rodionenko provides a slightly varying account of the Russian team's medal expectations in London which I will attempt to moderate here.   Rodionenko announces clearly that the original training plan written in 2009 targetted two golds, two silver and two bronze medals, focussing mainly on the hopes of the women's team.  The various individuals considered as medal contenders are : Viktoria Komova - bars and beam Aliya Mustafina - bars Anastasia Grishina - bars Ksenia Afanasyeva - floor. The Russian girls will fight gymnasts from China, Romania and USA for a place on the team medal podium, and everything will depend on their physical and mental condition in Lond...