The Russian MAG and WAG teams take their preparation for World Championships in Nanning one step further this week, as key players compete in the annual Russia Cup in Penza. There will be team, all around and event finals. The WAG team Last year the gymnasts were rather depleted and suffering the effects of injury; this year the national squad is still short of some of its top members, but has greater diversity and experience up and coming into the ranks, so it will be an interesting time. Last year saw St Petersburg gymnast and fan favourite Tatiana Nabiyeva lead the all around, ahead of Alla Sosnitskaya, Anna Pavlova, Anna Rodionova, Ekaterina Kramarenko and Polina Fyodorova. With the individual-only World Championships up coming in Antwerp, I remember writing that Russia might well decide to send a team of only three gymnasts, such was the paucity of available talent. The final reckoning saw Russia fare a little better than this, although performance lacked depth and re
Gee, what a contrast. Aliya all smiling, Ksenia slightly more serious, and Anastasia... well, my apologies for asking, but does she ever look happy instead of grumpy?
ReplyDelete:-) She does have quite a sweet smile. Perhaps her nose was itching or something.
Deleteshe is just looking down. It's like when someone closes their eyes as the photo is taken..can make them look real sleepy or wierd. i'm sure we have all had akward photos taken of us we are just lucky (unless when we get tagged of facebook :P ) that they wont be online for everybody to pick on them.
DeleteI guess this anonymous is lifje on the International Gymnast Forum. ;) No disrespect meant to Anastasia, but I honestly hope to see her smile a bit more often. Now her smile is such a rarity.
DeleteNow, now.
DeletePoor Anastasia - she's only 15 and probably very shy. Russians smile much less frequently that we do in the West - I walk around with a silly smile plastered all over my face, partly to try to make my wrinkles curl in the right direction as I can't afford cosmetic surgery. Nastia doesn't have to worry about that just yet.
As an entirely optional exercise, I challenge you both to find a lovely photograph of Nastia with a big beautiful smile on her face (there are some), and post a link to it here.
I never ask people to do things I'm not prepared to do myself. So here's a start.
Deletehttp://russiangymnasts.net/anastasiya-grishina/pics/11nats/05.jpg
yes i am (i'm just anonymous here cuz it seemed easier :P )
Deleteanyway i found out what makes her smile! A hug from Queen Elizabeth! http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/404797_320075864701323_100000967355045_929214_283421317_n.jpg
http://gymnet.org/forum/files/2010_euros_anastasia_grishina_fx_aa_01_172.jpg
DeleteOK, I think this one comes close to a happy looking Grishina.
we want to see the same colored medal decorating your neck in London Aliya!
ReplyDelete