Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

  Doctors have given 2012 Olympian Viktoria Komova the all clear to begin light training and make a gradual recovery this year, reports her father, Alexander Komov. Viktoria missed last year's Olympics with severe back pain caused by a stress fracture in her vertebrae.  Komov emphasised that it is still early days, and they don't know if the pain levels will return as the workload increases - only time will tell.  But Viktoria has a clear intention to make her way back into training. Good luck to Vika!  Let's hope to see her competing in good health once more. Source -  http://tass.ru/sport/4028089

Viktoria has spoken to Championat.com's Ksenia Viselinoi about the results of her visit to the clinic in Munich. 'It turns out I have a stress fracture in my fifth vertebra.  The doctors said that six months without exercise is the only way for the injury to heal.  I hope that everything will be OK, but if I cannot recover, then I will have to retire.  I decided not to go to Rio, but I will be at home with my friends, cheering the team on.'   Source -  http://www.championat.com/olympic/news-2535098-komova-polgoda-bez-trenirovok---edinstvennyj-sposob-zalechit-travmu.html

Viktoria is in the news in Russia at the moment.  There is this TV interview in which she discusses her injury, the future, and her team mates.  Can anyone translate?   https://youtu.be/kgKnkP-HY0g Our kind Anonymous contributor tells me that Vika says she has " Грыжa и протрузия позвоночника"  which I think means she has a herniated, or bulging, disc in her spine.  Ouch. In an interview with Albert Starodubtsev, Valentina Rodionenko says that Viktoria is travelling to Munich on 20th July.  Viktoria says that if the doctors say they cannot help her, she will retire.   Source -  http://tass.ru/sport/3445591 Other news Maria Kharenkova is back training in Lake Krugloye, again thanks to Anonymous.  The 2014 European beam champion has been suffering leg pain. I am also told by a private (unofficial) source that Tatiana Nabiyeva is back training on the national team again.  After her improved performances at Russia Cup, this is well deserved....

A few sources in the Russian press have reported Russia's team news.  There is a little bit more information about Viktoria Komova's retirement, or rest break, and some good news about Maria Paseka. The news came clearly from Viktoria's own mouth - I cannot link to the video - and has now been repeated and clarified by her father.  Viktoria has stopped training because of the pain in her back.  There is no chance of her making it to Rio now but if she recovers she may come back later.   Valentina Rodionenko says unequivocally that Vika has retired, but this doesn't have to be taken as a contradiction, just a simpler version of the picture.  (I personally think that retirement is probably right - but why say never?  However, I would feel sorry for Viktoria if she were not being allowed to make her own decisions.) The good news is that Maria Paseka will be competing at Russia Cup - she has recovered from her back pain and is making her way towards qualificat...

I awoke this morning to a very simple statement from Viktoria Komova, on her vk.com site, which Papa Liukin has translated (via the IG forum): 'Dear friends, fans, and gymnastics lovers. Unfortunately back pain isn't allowing me to train to my full potential and get ready for competitions. I've made the very difficult decision to stop training and take care of my health. I want to thank everyone for their support! Without your love and warmth it would've been more difficult to go all the way. Thanks everyone and see you soon! Love and kisses.' Well, first of all, good wishes and best of luck to Viktoria, who has struggled since 2012 to re-establish herself fully as a competitive gymnast, whose talent was so great that she secured gold on bars at two different World Championships, four years apart, whose career was littered with controversy, who must be allowed to live her life as she wishes.   I know that the 'gymternet' will now be overflowing...

In an interview with Tass correspondent Albert Starodubtsev, Valentina Rodionenko has refreshed ideas of those in contention for the upcoming European Championships.  MAG - 25 to 29 May - registrations will be sent to the UEG tomorrow.  The team will include Nikolai Kuksenkov, David Belyavski, Nikita Nagorny, Nikita Ignatyev and Denis Ablyazin.  Reserve is Emin Garibov.  Ablyazin is suffering from some health problems but it is hoped that he will recover in time, otherwise the team is in 'good shape'.  The RGF received notification from RUSADA on 15th April that Kuksenkov's temporary suspension had been lifted. As previously announced, the women's team (comp begins 1 June and registrations will be made formally next week) will include Ksenia Afanasyeva, Angelina Melnikova, Aliya Mustafina and Maria Paseka.  The final place will be contested by the Viktoria Komova, Daria Spiridonova and Seda Tutkhalyan.  (Ed's note - Seda is competing this weekend at th...

Viktoria has informed fans via her VK.com group that she will miss nationals because she is taking treatment for back pain. This obviously isn't great news for the returning champion, but pain is a way of life for gymnasts and it is right that Viktoria now rests and tries to get better before the 'business' end of the year. With Russia's veteran all arounders out of the picture, it will be an interesting competition in Penza.  Melnikova, Tutkhalyan, Kapitonova and Kharenkova are now Russia's main all around prospects.

New interview with Viktoria Komova.  She plans to compete at Russian Champs, Russia Cup, Euros and the Olympics.  Rio will probably be her final competition.  Any medal will be a victory.  She is working on upgrades and plans to compete AA.  #godblessvika Source and link to video -  https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=J19Eke4nRaw

At the recent press conference, both Aliya and Vika gave short interviews.  You can finds videos of them and the ROC's website. Olesya Mikheeva has found time to provide some translations - thank you!! Aliya's Interview. “Operation was done on November 3rd, so about 3 weeks ago, so now I’m recovering/ rehabilitating until December 7th, I’m not allowed to jump/run/go upstairs, I’m still wearing a cast. This is the last week of this. After that, I will start a more difficult recovery to build muscles, rehabilitate so in February I can get back to jumping. “ The interviewer asks about her injury and she says she had a meniscus injury. (don’t know how to translate the details) When can you start training again? “I think I’ll start training again when I’m out of the hospital because I’m still concurrently rehabilitating my back so until the New Year I will be doing that.” The interviewer asks something about the judging and Aliya gives a quote, but I’m not quite sure how to translat...

I would make this my gold medal of all gold medals ... What an amazing comeback from Viktoria Komova ... as the BBC commentators said yesterday, her beauty takes gymnastics 'beyond the textbook'.  And so it should be. http://youtu.be/_grQzeF55xs Congratulations to the gymnasts!   A question mark to the judges ... Those four routines were close, but not equal - it was your job to decide!

I just had to share this.  Courtesy of the RGF whose picture galleries give us so much. So glad Viktoria is back.  It takes a lot of courage to revive yourself in the public eye.

Komova and Mustafina - two great champions on one team.  Courtesy of the RGF Not so very long ago - April 2014 to be precise - I published an article on this blog entitled ' Does Komova need gymnastics? '.  In a fairly roundabout way, I questioned Viktoria Komova's desire to continue as a gymnast. It seemed that everywhere one looked, people were demanding her comeback to big time sport, assuming that gymnastics would be all she wanted to do.  I thought that perhaps the gymnast had decided to give up; did she have the desire to continue?  The most likely outcome, surely, was retirement, a focus on a new life path.  I hoped I was wrong, but thought I was right. Now, I am glad to say, it is clear that I was completely and utterly wrong.  At the European Games Komova has shown that she is in the process of perfecting what could end up as one of the most prodigious sporting comebacks of all time.  Read this interview with Championnat , in which she...

Aliya shows off the team#s patriotic manicure!  Picture courtesy of the RGF Veronika has kindly translated two TV interviews with the Russian WAG team in Baku.  At the moment, the videos aren't available in the UK as they have been geoblocked, but I have provided the links below. Now read on ... Interview with Dmitry Zanin (correspondent). A couple of years ago an interview with Aliya was a difficult test for a journalist, but now everything is quite different.  - So was your job simply to win and nothing else?  Or just to compete with all your strength and show everything that you can do? Aliya - Not at all, you can't set a target to win or to take first place - the task was the same for everyone.  We had to compete our programmes, perform well enough and then the result will follow.  - How is your health, how much of your programme is ready, do you have pain? Vika - No trouble or pain, I am about 70% ready.  It is hard to compete...

Seda Tutkhalyan, the 'rosebud' of this Russian team, who gave a searing debut performance in Baku for the senior team at her first major competition. Unsurprisingly, there has been a whole gamut of press interviews today.  In one of the best ones, with Aliya, the champion explained how she is still only really at 55% at this competition - it's only necessary, she says, to be at 100% for the Olympics - you don't want to peak too soon.  Andrei Rodionenko confirmed that this was be a more difficult competition to win than European Championships, because the 3-2 format in team, and one-per-country rule in finals evens out the field and provides a boost to the weaker countries.  Viktoria Komova said she was a little disappointed not to qualify for a final, but couldn't really complain as it was her first competition in three years.  David Belyavski explained that he decided not to compete on the high bar thanks to a wrist injury; the Russian MAG had already won the gold,...

Courtesy of the RGF Interviews with each of the Russian gymnasts at this week's European Games - Aliya Mustafina, Viktoria Komova and Seda Tutkhalyan - have appeared in the Russian press.  Here are excerpts. Victoria Komova: this is my first competition after my break - I hope that things will only get better. Today, June 14, at the first European Games in Baku (Azerbaijan) the gymnastics tournament began.  For the women there were qualifying competitions on the vault and uneven bars. Russia's Viktoria Komova vault score was 14.566, and on uneven bars - 14.866. Mark Skoda of Allsport reports. - Right before my performances, I had goose pimples all over my body, said Viktoria Komova. - A lot of spectators, great excitement. They all clapped and generally very actively supported us. I have not performed at many major events recently, so was a little excited. - How did it go in the vault and on the uneven bars? - On bars I don't think I will get to the final. It's 100 per ...

Courtesy of the RGF/Seda_tutkhalyan_fans on Instagram Viktoria Komova interview by Vladimir Ivanov, Russian language source -  http://www.sport-express.ru/artistic-gymnastics/reviews/884027/ The World Champion told Sports Express' correspondent about her expectations right before her first international competition in three years. At the Youth Olympic Games 2010 in Singapore Victoria Komova won three gold medals.  The athletics legend Yelena Isinbayeva was so inspired by Vika's performance that she ran to congratulate her on all the successes.  A year later, Komova won gold on the uneven bars at her first World Championships and in the fight for the AA lost by a paltry 0.033.  Viktoria cried.  There were no tears a year later when the Voronezh athlete was considered favourite for Olympic gold in the all-around.  But an unfortunate mistake in the vault meant that she could not beat the American Gabrielle Douglas. The worst problems began after Komova returne...

In a Sports Express interview with Elena Vaitsekhovskaya, coach Gennadi Elfimov has confirmed that he and Komova are working together, thus confounding rumours that they had split up for good.  He says that Viktoria is preparing all around for the European Games in Baku, which will take place in June this year. You can read a full translation of the interview here - http://russiangymnasticsnerd.tumblr.com/post/116866178996/gennadiy-yelfimov-i-knew-from-the-very-beginning

Russian consumer bank VTB, sponsors of Russian gymnastics, have a nice interview with Viktoria Komova on their web pages where she affirms her desire to continue competing as long as possible, and says how hard it has been overcoming the psychological and physical effects of the injury and illness that have dogged her since 1992.  There are some lovely pictures of Vika - I am showing a selection here.  The Google translate is particularly poor, but I have lifted some of the highlights.  I will link to more comprehensive translations if they become available. I hope we can see Viktoria return as an all arounder - I think that is where her strength lies. - Viktoria says she has the potential to add to her D scores, if not by half a point then at least by a few tenths.  There is a possible new connection on bars.  She mentions Kovacs flights as a possible development for women's UB - the Chinese are already doing this, but she herself is too tall to attempt it. ...

New Viktoria Komova edit. She really was the last of a #gymnastics breed. http://youtu.be/DRRb_r4SP48

Head WAG coach Evgeny Grebyonkin has confirmed further details of the Russian team for April's European Championships, reports Allsport. On the basis of their performance at the Russian Championships, Ksenia Afanasyeva, Maria Kharenkova and Daria Spiridinova have been confirmed for the team.  Fighting for the final place will be Alla Sosnitskaya, Viktoria Komova, Maria Paseka and first year senior Seda Tutkhalyan. The Russian coaches face some tough selection decisions as they attempt to balance a relative paucity of all around talent this year with the diverse specialisms of such gymnasts as Spiridinova, Afanasyeva and Komova.  Both Sosnitskaya and Tutkhalyan (whose D score AA of 23.7 ranks third in the international ranks so far this year, behind Simone Biles and Evgeniya Shelgunova) offer potential at both specialist (respectively vault (Sosnitskaya) and beam (Tutkhakyan)) and AA level.  Much will depend on the nerve of the coaches and the way these gymnasts respond in...