Skip to main content

Afanasyeva!

Image
By
Courtesy RGF


Wearing her Olympics leotard yesterday afternoon, Ksenia Afanasyeva faced off all doubts about her ability to manage pressure with a breathtaking performance on the floor.  Afanasyeva's artistry is now matched by her confidence and aggression in the all-important tumbling.  Her start value of 6.3 was the highest of the competition, her score of 15.166 superior to that earned in Tokyo two years ago when she took the world title on this apparatus. Short term, she has sacrificed some of the choreography from her Olympic floor routine to favour work on consistency, but a new routine is promised for this autumn's World Championships.

The pressure Afanasyeva faced came from many directions, most tangibly in the audience she faced who included many of the most influential people in sport in Russia.  Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko and senior representatives of sponsors VTB were there to check on and celebrate the results of their considerable investment.  History faced Afanasyeva in the form of Olympic champions Alexei Nemov and Larissa Latynina.  These were just four of the many dignitaries visible in the VIP tribune situated right in front of the floor area and who she faced as she took up her starting position

Afanasyeva asserted her right to a third major gold medal in her seven year long international career with a beautiful and feisty expression of her talent that has all but erased the bad memory of a flunked routine in London's team final last July.  At the end of her routine, the Russian who lays the greatest claim to Russia's classical tradition took a deep intake of breath before walking slowly away from the floor area, deep in thought, then running towards the tribune where family and friends congratulated here.  It was deeply moving to share her joy.




Labels:

Comments

  1. Unknown22 April 2013 at 07:30

    stunning!!! Great article!!! Afanasyeva is really a amazing gymnast!

    ReplyDelete
  2. cpt.Hook22 April 2013 at 12:52

    It was beautiful routine. Xenia (i like this transcription better) gave no chance to doubt who the champion is.
    Dear Queen Elizabeth, do you planning to write a travel notes about the trip to the championship? It would be interesting to read your impressions of Moscow, people and so on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Queen Elizabeth22 April 2013 at 15:13

      Hi Cpt Hook, yes that is planned ... a few weeks' time. I loved Moscow!!

      Delete
  3. Unknown23 April 2013 at 03:34

    She's truly incredible on floor. She has a way of transcending so much power with her tumbling and yet it coombines well with her usual mature/classical dancing. Afansyeva for Gold FX 2016!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovenicky24 April 2013 at 03:57

    So beautiful yet so powerful! I was worried that she would want to retire after the London Olympics but yet she is still here at the highest level of gymnastics. I hope she continues to train and participate in her 3rd Olympics in 2016!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nelli Kim - 'Russian gymnastics has closed in on itself' - Lupita translates

By
Lupita has translated this ITAR-TASS interview with Nelli Kim.  It's controversial, to say the least. Ed's note : much of the initial response to this interview - both here and in the wider gymternet -  has focussed on the detail of Kim's words and especially her comments about Viktoria Komova, and smiling.  But I think these have to be taken in context, and not too literally. Don't forget that just a day ago Andrei Rodionenko complained bitterly about the judging in Antwerp, calling Kim's behaviour 'aggressive'. Kim is responding to this here, and to the wider current context of Russian gymnastics.  What she is essentially saying to the Russian coach is 'get your own house in order, produce confident, disciplined, well trained gymnasts - stop complaining, do your job, and I will do mine.'   She goes about saying this in a somewhat long winded way and says some things along the way that seem contradictory, unfair, inappropriate even for th...
30 comments
Read more

Simone and the others - results and reflections

By
In the end, it was as predicted : Simone and the others, with Simone's teammate, Alexandra Raisman, providing the back up.  I do not need to point out that, by definition, the Americans are scoring significantly higher marks than the rest of the field.  Congratulations to them! Aliya Mustafina finished in third place.  The 2012 bronze medalist led the competition after vault and uneven bars, but had a very nervous outing on beam that might have taken a less experienced gymnast out of the medals.  A bravura performance on floor brought Aliya back though to confirm her third place all around.  From her senior debut in 2010 to today, Mustafina has continuously set high standards of grace.    It is the first time since 2000 that a gymnast (Amanar) has medalled in the all around at two consecutive Olympics, and  if Aliya can medal on Saturday's uneven bars final, she will once again be Russia's biggest medal winner of the women's gymnastics.  Russ...
56 comments
Read more

Viktoria Komova - back pain has forced me to step down

By
I awoke this morning to a very simple statement from Viktoria Komova, on her vk.com site, which Papa Liukin has translated (via the IG forum): 'Dear friends, fans, and gymnastics lovers. Unfortunately back pain isn't allowing me to train to my full potential and get ready for competitions. I've made the very difficult decision to stop training and take care of my health. I want to thank everyone for their support! Without your love and warmth it would've been more difficult to go all the way. Thanks everyone and see you soon! Love and kisses.' Well, first of all, good wishes and best of luck to Viktoria, who has struggled since 2012 to re-establish herself fully as a competitive gymnast, whose talent was so great that she secured gold on bars at two different World Championships, four years apart, whose career was littered with controversy, who must be allowed to live her life as she wishes.   I know that the 'gymternet' will now be overflowing...
43 comments
Read more

RRG Archive - scroll by date, from 2024 to 2010

Show more