Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, is currently visiting Russia, where he met President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.   He was also lucky enough to meet Queen Aliya Mustafina!   With thanks to Aliya's Instagram account for the picture.  You can read more about Mr Bach's visit to Russia here : http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/23603

2008 Artistic Gymnastics Olympic Champion, Nastia Liukin, in Sochi this week.  The Sochi Winter Olympic Games begin in seven days' time.  Picture : Sportivnaya Gymnastika on VK.com This blog is about artistic gymnastics in the Russian Federation, and I am not about to dilute that.  However, those of you who regularly read RRG will be aware of Russia's significant investment in the sport, not just to refurbish and improve facilities at Lake Krugloye national training centre, but also around the regions.  Training centres in Siberia, Voronezh, Khimki and Rostov on Don are amongst those which have benefitted.   The headline costs are being paid by VTB, a bank still in the majority ownership (70% or thereabouts) of the Russian government.  VTB's interests rest not only in gymnastics, but in wider sport.  For example, the new VTB Arena, built on the site of the former Dynamo sports centre, is rumoured to be costing around US $1.5 billion, and will be a main...

Emin Garibov, Aliya Mustafina and Maria Paseka received national awards this week, in recognition of their team's gold medal winning achievements at the 2013 Universiade in Kazan (9 gold medals out of a possible 14).   Russia's Prime Minister, Dmitri Medvedev, presented the awards. The photographs are from Aliya Mustafina's fan page on VK.com, and RIA Novosti. Congratulations to all the team!  Maladyets! Russia's gold medal winning teams at the Universiade 2013, Kazan: Nikolai Kuksenkov, Emin Garibov, David Belyavski, Denis Ablyazin, Nikita Ignatyev Aliya Mustafina, Ksenia Afanasyeva, Anna Dementyeva, Tatiana Nabiyeva, Maria Paseka 9 gold medals (MAG and WAG teams, Kuksenkov (All Around, Pommel Horse), Garibov (Parallel Bars, High Bar), Mustafina  (All Around, Uneven Bars), Afanasyeva (Vault, Floor)), 6 silver medals (Ablyazin (Rings, Vault), Belyavksi (Parallel Bars), Nabiyeva (Uneven Bars), Afanasyeva (All Around), Mustafina (Beam)), 3 bro...