Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

I’ve added a list of links to video documentaries on this page which will gradually be expanded. The first link is to the documentary ‘What makes Milo fly’ (1996). Lavinia Milosovici, the famous Romanian who won floor at the Olympics in 1992, might not be the most artistic gymnast. But I do remember her with affection. Her fierce competitive attitude and simple acrobatics brought their own form of aesthetic to the sport. And the documentary really underlines how amazing the most mundane gymnast is. Not that Milo was ever mundane, but hopefully you get my meaning! Please do add links to any videos you think should be included in the list by means of comments, and I will transfer them to the list.

Happy Russian Gymnastics Day! http://www.sportgymrus.ru/press/news/4755/default.aspx

Can judging ever be objective? Part 2 Now that the flurry of World Championships is well and truly over, I have been cogitating on the different perspectives on gymnastics discussed earlier in this blog and attempting to analyse what we can learn from the latest developments. The thing that repeatedly strikes me right in the eye is the prescriptive approach of the Code which seems to try to apply a painting-by-numbers type formula for good gymnastics. I believe that this alienates judgement of the aesthetic dimension of the sport and imposes a set of assumptions which not all of us share. In turn, this disadvantages those gymnasts who attempt to express artistry and discourages the development of an artistic approach to the sport. It facilitates an approach to gymnastics marking that favours verbal reasoning over aesthetic judgement, thus opening the door to all forms of behind-the-scenes nit-picking and making the sport increasingly political. Finally, it reinforces a k...

I'm laid up with a virus at the moment and will update this blog with some 'proper' writing as soon as looking at the computer screen doesn't send shooting pains through my eyes. Oh joy. In the meantime, however, please find below a list of some lovely media coverage about the Russian girls and Mustafina. Sigh. I have a less lovely question re the code, or rather Rebecca Bross's beam score in the all around. Could any of you clarify you views on this and perhaps enumerate the E score deductions and how the D score would have been affected? How would artistry/posture/line have been taken into account? It just seems to me that 14.1 was rather out of synch with other scores on the apparatus given what seemed to me to be a huge hiatus mid routine that then led to a fall. (Please note: I am a code dissident: I think it tries to formulate the sport out of existence - how can you calculate something that is at least as much art as sport? However, I would be int...

I'm laid up with a virus at the moment and will update this blog with some 'proper' writing as soon as looking at the computer screen doesn't send shooting pains through my eyes ;-) Oh joy. In the meantime, however, please find below a list of some lovely media coverage about the Russian girls and Mustafina I have a less lovely question re the code, or rather Rebecca Bross's beam score in the all around. Could any of you clarify you views on this and perhaps enumerate the E score deductions and how the D score would have been affected? How would artistry/posture/line have been taken into account? It just seems to me that 14.1 was rather out of synch with other scores on the apparatus given what seemed to me to be a huge hiatus mid routine that then led to a fall. (Please note: I am a code dissident: I think it tries to formulate the sport out of existence - how can you calculate something that is at least as much art as sport? However, I would be interested...

I'm struck low with a virus at present but wanted to update you with the latest Russian media coverage of Mustafina and the Russian team victory. More proper writing will follow soon! One incidental question: could I have views on the execution deductions taken from Bross's beam routine in the all around? And how did the bobble and fall affect her D score? I'm not at all code-wise and certainly don't like the code we have at present; but the score did seem to me to be somewhat out of synch with what was awarded elsewhere in the competition (14.1 for a routine with a large hiatus mid-way through, followed by a fall) There are a few more bits and bobs of Russian press coverage that are nice to read, and one video, in German, English and Russian ('what do I have to do to make you smile?' is the final question to Mustafina). Interview with Mustafina and Rodienenko: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcEu4qShleQ Alexandrov: Russian gymnasts - stinkers! http://www.c...

What an extraordinary statement. What on earth does Karolyi mean by this? What does she mean - ballerina? When we hear the word, our immediate associations are - elegance, grace, posture, effortless poise, beauty. Aren't they? And isn't this exactly what we would want from our gymnastics? Well, I can entirely understand why Karolyi wouldn't want elegance to win. Given the state of some of the gymnastics that emanates from her training camps. This often gets confused with a question of body type, size, shape, weight or looks, quite a sensitive issue given the age of many of these competitors. But I will take just one example that perhaps even isn't at the extreme end of the scale. America's Rebecca Bross. She has more or less the same basic body type as say, for example, Mustafina - powerful, proportionately long limbs, strong bodied. But look at the differences. Just look at the differences. Consider line, elevation, fluidity of movement, range o...