Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

Olga Korbut in flight. Effortless, like a swallow. The fundamental contradiction of gymnastics is that it is a sport in which we can all participate; but which at the elite level is all but impossible for most of us.  Its fundamental principle is that it takes movement, however simple or difficult, to a level of refined and aesthetic perfectionism.  A child of 6 doing a handstand in the playground might have flat feet, an arched back, shoulders at an angle, hands pointing in different directions.  Take him or her into the gym, and you hopefully transform the movement into an object of beauty, perhaps something capable of being used as a progression.  The child's pride in achievement is clear, and the only difference to the playground is that the handstand has been coached and coaxed into a state of alignment, the health of the body sharpened to encourage strength, poise and coordination that will serve the child for life. Most of us couldn't attempt the high dif...

Ksenia Afanasyeva during qualifications last Wednesday, in Montpellier.  Courtesy RGF It's way too early in the morning to be blogging, really, but unless I seize the day and get down to a bit of writing I'll never be able to update you.  I'm bang in the middle of grading season so my hours and thoughts are mostly taken up with concerns for my students at the Uni where I work full time.  But, for my blog, I will find a few quiet moments in the earliest hours of the day.  I should really be asleep, but it's that kind of London morning when the birds are tweeting and the mist is drifting gently over the gloomy skyline.  You can smell the faint tinge of vehicle emissions in the polluted air.  It aggravates my asthma.  But the promise of spring is still there, predicting a summer when perhaps I will finally find the time to make the changes I need, to find somewhere to live that doesn't make me cough and make more space and time for the writing a...

Politician Vladimir Gruzdev, Governor of Tula Oblast, Afanasyeva's home region, has officially congratulated the senior national team member for her outstanding performance, winning a gold medal on floor and a bronze on vault, at this weekend's European Championships. "The gold medal in the floor exercise was the result of hard work, perseverance and determination. Your countrymen are proud of your achievements! I am confident that a strong character and skill will continue to serve as collateral for your athletic success." Vladimir Gruzdev wished Ksenia health, luck and new bright victories! Tula and local coach Marina Nazarova have long been important to Russian gymnastics.  As well as Afanasyeva, Tula is also home to 2009 world bars champion and 2010 team world champion, Ksenia Semenova.  Maria Zasypkina, 2001 world team silver medallist, also trained in Tula with Nazarova.  This is an impressive track record.   The high profile victories of the Russian gymnasts i...

I had to ask myself this question, this morning, after receiving a pretty nasty comment on my post about yesterday's floor final.  I usually make it a rule not to publish rude, poorly argued, unpleasant or profane comments; I went against that principle.  I trust that whoever 'wrote' that comment is highly embarrassed.  I can't imagine that she or he would speak like that to anyone in person. It is an unfortunate fact of life that the wider internet - social media - encourages the covert, cowardly bullying that is often disguised as argument and opinion on the various gym forums.  Some of the people posting there just don't know how to regulate their behaviour, and moderation can only work retrospectively.  I wish people would think before they post ... would YOU like to read something so rude?  Disagreements are allowed, and you don't have to like someone's writing style, but good manners cost nothing and are at the heart of a civilised society. ...

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

It was almost a symbol of the contemporary struggle for the identity of gymnastics.  First, we saw Britain's Claudia Fragapane, completing with verve and energy the powerful tricks and tumbling that gained the diminutive gymnast the title 'Pocket Rocket'.  Next, we saw the elegant line and gravity defying artistry of the regal Ksenia Afanasyeva, graceful in both her gymnastics and her manner.   They were both compelling, but only one gymnast showed the purity and harmony that was once de rigeur in the sport, and that has frequently elevated artistic gymnastics above a form of energetic, cheerleading contortionism.  Thankfully, at least, the judges recognised the differences in what they were seeing.  Just.  Finally, as the last performer of the day, the 23 year old Afanasyeva was crowned Europe's Floor Queen once more, repeating the award she won two years ago in Moscow.  She was delighted, danced a little jig, and threw herself into the fatherly embra...

16 year old Maria Kharenkova with coach Olga Sagina after yesterday's all around final at the European Championships, in which Maria won a silver medal.  Maria comes from the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, and follows in the footsteps of such gymnasts as Ludmilla Tourischeva, Svetlana Grozdova, Natalia Shaposhnikova, Natalia Yurchenko and Elena Produnova who all trained at the same gym as her.  Maria said : 'I’m a little bit sorry that I lost to the Swiss gymnast [Giulia Steingrueber], but, on the other hand, I’m not terribly disappointed – after all, she is a lot more experienced and stronger than I am, and it’s my first time in the all-around'. Maria has grown physically and developed as a competitor since her last showing at the Nanning World Championships.  With her longer limbs is coming a greater grace and power in her moves.  'You can lose by mistake, but you can't win by chance', said head coach Andrei Rodionenko in an interview p...