Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

  Chairman of the All-Russian Board of Judges William Katyn explains the judging of Arseny Dukhno’s High Bar routine in the Russia Cup AA, April 2026 https://sportgymrus.ru/news/10169-predsedatel-vserossijskoj-kollegii-sudej-vilyam-katyn-ob-izmenenii-rezultatov-v-finale-mnogoborya-u-muzhchin.html ‘After Arseniy Dukhno's performance on the high bar, the appeals jury and I assessed a neutral deduction of 0.3 points from the D panel. The judging system doesn't allow for a score to be immediately blocked, so the situation was immediately addressed. The apparatus judges stated that, in their opinion, Arseniy warmed up on the apparatus for 52 seconds, while the permitted 50 seconds were allowed. The appeals jury, consisting of the head coach, senior coach, senior judge, and myself, decided to review the wording of the rules regarding this deduction. Neutral deductions cannot be protested; it is the job of the appeals jury to monitor the progress of the competition. The wording states...

 Today - Kalmykova, Roschina, Melnikova, Glotova. An exciting and close competition.  The young women have grown through higher expectations, and it’s exciting to see the determination on their faces.  Kalmykova is now a strong competitor, Roschina is maturing and living with her routines.  Melnikova (was she recording a live vlog here?) has grown some more, become a sophisticated performer shot through with pure steel and I think some diamond, and performed beautiful gymnastics.   There is no doubt that in a different competition these three gymnasts could finish three times in different podium positions.   The ‘other’ three in the top group, Us, Glotova and Osokina all showed real enjoyment of the competition.  Let’s hope that their motivation supports them in realising more of their potential. Thanks for some fabulously entertaining competitions over the last days.  Drama, emotion, friendship, some ferocity - this is what world gymnastics needs...

A fabulous picture story from Match TV explains how Dukhno was judged to have exceeded his warm up time on high bar, so received a neutral deduction of .3.  This accounted for his initial finishing place of 2nd, behind Marinov in the AA standings.  On reflection, the deduction was cancelled - ending therefore with Dukhno as the champion!

RRG’s coverage of the Russia Cup gymnastics this week relies entirely on internet access to Russia.  Pictures, the scores, broadcast and live streaming, opinion, personal ànd team news.   Yet within Russia these stories are becoming more and more difficult to access.  Businesses can’t make ànd receive payments in some cases.   In gymnastics, I have noticed that most of the sources I now refer to are official, rather than the pleasant ongoing bubble of ideas popping up randomly from private social media ànd so on.  I am really grateful to those sources who have managed to keep going, as their effort is making it possible for us to see how gymnastics is still developing in Russia.   The changes to Russia are already feeling rather oppressive to me - several thousand miles away.   Steve Rosenberg gives a broader view - Steve Rosenberg: Kremlin's tightening grip on internet fuels Russian discontent https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr510de17jlo

 On appeal.  I am told there was a controversial penalty point. Will update tomorrow.

 MAG AA Russia Cup, April 2026 Marinov, Dukhno, Suedin, Yakubov.   That was a tight competition with a twist at the end.  Russia’s MAG team is a good deal stronger than a year ago, and the scores at the top have come closer. The difference between the top two deciding scores amounted to hundredths and thousandths of a mark.  In the end, at the final stage, Marinov and Dukhno were head to head and both performed exemplary high bar routines.  I must say, I thought Dukhno had grabbed the gold by a whisker.  But no, Marinov took the lead as a well deserved national champion.   It was a controversial decision, though, and Marinov was as supportive of his jilted team mate as I have ever seen a rival in any competition arena.  At one point I thought Daniel might lodge a protest on Dukhno’s behalf.  But no.  The judges had made their decision.  To be frank, some of the earlier scores seemed to have been generous to Dukhno.  It could ha...