Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

So today we will see who can take gold in the MAG AA competition.  Almost all of the contenders are young and fairly new to the scene. In the main it will be between Marinov and Dukhno, but anything can happen!  Yakubov in particular seems a possible to me, with his confident, dynamic demeanour and ability to qualify for the stick bonus that can make such a difference. From 2.45 pm London time, 23 April, watch the MAG AA final ànd quals of the Russia Cup gymnastics.  Keep up to date with the best of gymnastics!   https://vk.ru/wall-114519096_28113

From April 9th ​​to 12th, the final stage of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup was held in Croatia. Over the five stages, neutral athletes won 22 medals, nine of which were gold. Dmitry Andreev, head coach of the national artistic gymnastics team, summarized the first half of the international season. With thanks to the RGF — How would you rate the gymnasts' performance at the World Cup? — We didn't aim to qualify for the World Championships through these tournaments—the main selection will take place at the European Championships. However, each athlete had their own goals. First and foremost, this is about regaining competitive experience on the international stage. The team lacked it: some athletes haven't competed abroad for a long time, and a new generation has emerged that needs to be introduced to international competitions now. It was important to review the competition programs, identify weaknesses in routines, and make adjustments before the European and World Cham...

This is the first of a long series of pieces about Russia in general, that I'll be trying to improve and complete over the coming year.  Please bear with me and leave me comments; I will need feedback and encouragement!  I want to try to put gymnastics in Russia into context with its past, and especially with everything that has happened in the past ten years.  It seems to me that things are changing fast. Russia - some basic facts Russia is the largest landmass of any single country in the world, spanning from Europe to the Far East, from way up north towards the Arctic and the Barents Sea, down to the border with Georgia in the south.   The country shares land borders with seventeen other nations from Norway to Japan, China and Korea; it shares maritime borders with countries including the USA and Alaska.  Maps below. Russia's declining population is a matter of major concern to the Government.  Despite the size of the country, its population is only...

Schedule for the Russia Cup, one of Russia’s two annual national competitions.  This year we are hoping to see Daniel Marinov, Angelina Melnikova, Victoria Listunova and Marina Agafanova compete alongside the rising stars of the sport.  This competition will in part decide which of the neutral gymnasts will compete in Europeans and Worlds later this year.   Please note, not all of the gymnasts have neutral status, most notably Victoria Listunova (under appeal). This year the competition will take place in Sirius, Sochi, an impressive arena that’s relatively new. Depending on territory you will be able to follow finals on Match TV and on Vk.com at https://vk.ru/fgymrussia All times are local. MAG Quals/team final, 21 April.   This competition will determine which individuals move forward to compete in AA and EFs. The strongest teams, as ever, will compete in the 3rd round, at 17.00 Sochi time. Last year’s results : Vladimir Oblast, Moscow 19 teams compete MAG, compare...

Rostov-on-Don in the south of Russia is one of those places with a distinctive gymnastics history.     Those who trained there include many trailblazers of new and interesting work.     The story began back in the 1960s when an ambitious coach, Vladislav Rotstorotski, moved to Rostov from Voronezh.    In Voronezh, he had served his coaching apprenticeship with Yuri Shtuckman, another coach leader in Soviet gymnastics.    Rotstorotski’s move to Rostov facilitated his training partnership with 1972 Olympic All Around champion, Liudmilla Tourischeva.    Fast on her heels came beam genius Svetlana Grozdova, who competed at the 1976 Olympics.    And behind Grozdova, a rapid succession of innovators, fighters and artists.    Natalia Shaposhnikova, Natalia Yurchenko. Alla Shishova all came from Rotstorotski’s group, and all made their mark on the sport. Rostov remains a special place for gymnastics.    In 2000 Elen...

Admittedly, this video of Russia’s junior gymnasts - the boys - has been edited to show the very best of the best.   Two things especially moved me. 1. When the gymnast on high bar speaks of performing the Tkachev. Alexander Tkachev is an Olympic Champion (1980) ànd was the first gymnast to perform the Tkachev somersault on high bar, at the World Championships in 1978.   Alexander still coaches gymnastics ànd he lives and works in the USA.  He has a Facebook account. He’s a legend ànd his name is still spoken in Russian gymnasia and around the world.  The skill he initiated still takes your breath away every time you see it performed. 2. The boy performing on pommel horse who lifts his right arm during his circling.  It’s the ultimate show of style on this difficult apparatus, as far as I am concerned.  He is copying it from David Belyavski, ànd Belyavski copied it from Valentin Mogilnyi (RIP).   There’s a third thing I want to add.  Mogilnyi was ...