Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

PLEASE NOTE: statement from the FIG website is below. Source : RGF. Google translate The FIG Executive Committee has revised the rules for admitting Russian athletes as neutrals A meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) was held in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July 9 and 10. Following its results, the rules for obtaining neutral status by athletes from Russia were revised. According to the updated rules: – Russian athletes will be able to compete under the auspices of FIG not only in individual, but also in group and team disciplines. – Athletes who were previously denied neutral status will have the right to have their applications reconsidered. – New criteria for considering applications have been introduced and FIG clarifications to the updated rules have been approved — this should increase the objectivity of the admission procedure, eliminating cases of unjustified refusals. The President of the Russian Gymnastics Federation Oleg Belozerov ...

Via TASS.  Arseniy Dukhno is the son of one of the national team coaches.  Google translate.  Picture by Daria Isayeva. The leader of the Russian junior artistic gymnastics team, Arseniy Dukhno, dreams of performing at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and winning a gold medal there. Dukhno told TASS about this. 📈At the Strongest Athletes Cup in Moscow, 16-year-old Dukhno won five gold medals (including in the individual all-around) and two silver medals in junior competitions. In the all-around, he scored more points than Daniil Novikov, who had no equal among adult gymnasts (81.965 versus 81.165). 💬"I haven't fully established myself as a gymnast yet, because I haven't competed at the senior level yet, that will only happen next year," Dukhno answered the question of how he reacts to the positive reviews addressed to him. "The atmosphere in senior gymnastics is a little different, and the competition among athletes is much more serious. In such conditions...

From sport.ru via vk.com.  Google translate  A big interview with Anastasia Loginova from Sport24 with Lyudmila Roshchina following the Strongest Cup, where the gymnast won four out of five gold medals. We quote several fragments, the full version is available on the publication's website, link at the end. ❓ The Strongest Athletes Cup has recently ended. Did you have time to analyze your performances? 💬 I just rewatched the broadcast, looked at my shortcomings. ❓ Did you set a medal plan for this start? 💬 I didn't think about it. Only that I needed to do my program - and then what will happen. ❓ Did you have time to discuss the competition with your coach? 💬 She praised me, said that I was great. She didn't scold me for mistakes on the beam - on the contrary, she supported me. ❓ Can we say that the beam is your weak spot? This is the only final you didn't get to. 💬 Probably yes. I have this apparatus that is a bit unpolished, so to speak. Treacherous. I need to work...

  Liudmilla is the first gymnast of the new generation to win AA in the most important international competition in Russia.  The Krasnodar born gymnast was at one time said to be the favourite of head coach of the junior team, Aliya Mustafina.   Source: gymnastics group on VK.com.  Google translate Lyudmila Roshchina shone at the "Strongest Athletes Cup" in artistic gymnastics in Moscow.  🔝 The 17-year-old gymnast became the absolute champion in the all-around and in individual disciplines, winning the vault, parallel bars and floor exercises!  "I am very pleased. There were small mistakes, but they did not prevent me from showing a decent result. I liked the atmosphere of the competition, the full stands helped when I went out on the apparatus. I love all the apparatus, but especially the parallel bars. And, of course, it was interesting to test myself against foreign rivals. In September, the Russian Championship will be held, I want to perform there at ...

 Via Instagram, RGF.  Google translate. Head coach of the Russian national team Dmitry Andreev shared his impressions of the "Strongest Athletes Cup":  "If we talk about the main team, I would like to note the performance of Daniil Novikov. It is nice that he got into good shape and showed himself well at the competition. He has something to improve on; I know that he and his coach are working on making the program more difficult.  We can single out Sasha Kartsev, who has finally recovered from his injuries. We were counting on Mukhammadzhon Yakubov: he was the favorite, but, unfortunately, he did not perform so well. Perhaps he does not have enough experience of performing as a leader yet - maybe his nerves gave in. His program is good; we know that he is capable of performing it at a high level.  Lyudmila Roshchina showed herself well, but Anya Kalmykova's situation turned out the same as Mukhammadzhon's - either nerves or the burden of responsibility affected...

At 82, Rodionenko must wish for some rest.  He hasn’t looked well for years, and it can’t have been easy leading a team which has been less than visible since 2016 (when the Russians were neutral at the Rio Games).   Andrei’s solid work on clearing the way for Russian athletes to compete as neutral was swept to one side by some power or other recently.  That must have been exhausting, humiliating and very discouraging.  I wonder which side of the fence his successor, Andreev, sat on then?  For or against Russian gymnasts competing?  Who will be in, who out?  What is the weather like in Round Lake today, for coaches and athletes?   Melnikova describes this change as a ‘new era’.  During her recent visit to Italy she was keen to emphasise how friendly people had been towards her, and how much she wanted to compete internationally. Let’s hope that Andreev is as good a diplomat as was Rodionenko.  And let’s hope for rest and improved health ...